Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 28 : Hyderabad police busted an illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket in the limits of Gopalapuram, arresting at least 10 individuals, including the head of the IVF centre, police said on Monday.
The police also seized medical equipment and medicines being used at the clinic, mobile phones and digital devices used in the commission of the crime. Police also seized case records and surrogacy documents
The prime accused has been identified as Athaluri Namratha, the owner of Universal Srushti Fertility Centres in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The racket came into light after a couple (complainant) were duped of Rs 35 lakhs to have a child through surrogacy; however, after making several payments to the clinic in due course of nine months, the couple discovered that the DNA of the newborn through surrogacy did not match theirs at all, the police said.
After the couple filed a complaint against the clinic, the police conducted a detailed inquiry, which revealed that the main accused, Athaluri Namratha, was conducting a large-scale illegal surrogacy and fertility scam.
The accused operated fertility centres under the name Universal Srushti Fertility Centres in Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Kondapur. She began medical practice in 1995 and transitioned into fertility and IVF services from 1998, police said in a statement.
Over the years, she expanded into unethical and illegal practices, collecting Rs 20-30 lakhs from each client under false promises. She, along with associates and agents, targeted vulnerable women, particularly those seeking abortions and lured them into continuing pregnancies in exchange for money. These newborns were then passed off as children conceived through surrogacy, misleading clients into believing the babies were biologically theirs, police mentioned.
The police investigation revealed that the original parents of the baby were identified (natives of Assam and living in Hyderabad), and the delivery was planned at Vizag. After taking the baby, a paltry sum was handed over to them, and the couple was sent back to Hyderabad. On charges of baby selling, the original parents were also tracked and arrested.
A simultaneous raid was planned at Hyderabad and Vizag clinics, which led to several arrests. With the help of the medical department, the clinic at Gopalapuram was seized, and large-scale equipment was found in the area, which substantiated the fact that the accused was conducting IVF treatments, creating live embryos, and performing real medical procedures without any proper license. Any clients who protested were intimidated and threatened by her son (an advocate by profession), who ran an office from the same premises and managed financial transactions of his mother, police said.
The case was investigated, and the accused were apprehended by a joint team from North zone police along with Task force teams led by ACP Gopalapuram, DI Gopalapuram Kausheek, DI Bowenpally Sardar Naik, SHO Marredpally Venkatesh, DI Begumpet Srinivas, SI RamaKrishna, SI Madhavi, SI Gyandeep, SI under the supervision of DCP North Zone S. Rashmi Perumal, IPS.
Further investigation is underway in the case, the police said.