Police probe found that the accused targeted vulnerable women, particularly those seeking abortions and lured them into continuing pregnancies in exchange for money. (Representative image)
Credit: iStock Photo
Hyderabad: Hyderabad police have busted an illegal child selling racket that was disguised as an IVF and surrogacy clinic. Police arrested a 64-year-old gynecologist Dr Pachipala Namratha along with several members of her staff on Sunday.
The alleged crime came to light when a couple found that DNA tests did not match them with the child that the IVF clinic claimed had been conceived through surrogacy using the specimens of the couple.
Police probe found that Dr Namrata, along with her 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. In the present case, through identified agents, the original parents of the baby were identified, native of Assam and living in Hyderabad and the delivery was planned at Vizag.
On charges of selling their baby, the biological parents were also tracked and arrested. Dr Namrata was collecting Rs 35 lakhs to Rs 40 lakhs from the gullible parents and paying Rs 90,000 to the biological parents.
According to the Gopalapuram police a couple approached Universal Srushti Fertility Center located in Gopalapuram in the month of August 2024 for fertility and IVF consultation. There they met Dr Namrata who after conducting fertility related tests advised them to go for surrogacy. The couple was directed to another branch of the clinic at Vishakapatnam for collection of specimens and were told that the surrogate will be arranged by the clinic and the embryo would be transplanted to the surrogate.
Over the course of 9 months, the couple made several payments to the clinic and update as to the baby’s health were given by the clinic. In the month of June 2025, the couple was informed that the surrogate had delivered a baby boy via C-section in Vishakapatnam and that they should pay extra amount for the delivery charges and collect the baby from Vishakapatnam.
They reached Vizag and the baby boy was handed over to her along with documentation which showed registration of the child as having been born to the couple themselves creating a false birth certificate document. Overall, the clinic took over Rs 35 lakhs from the couple as consultation charges for the procedures. Later, the couple went in for DNA test which revealed that the child’s DNA did not match theirs at all. They tried to get in touch with the clinic but they were refused any documentation and were threatened which prompted them to approach the police.
Based on the complaint, a detailed inquiry was conducted which revealed that Dr Namratha was conducting a large-scale illegal surrogacy and fertility scam. The accused operated fertility centers under the name Universal Srushti Fertility Centers in Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Kondapur. She began medical practice in 1995 and transitioned into fertility and IVF services from 1998. Over the years, she expanded into unethical and illegal practices, collecting Rs 20– Rs 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.
“In the present case, through identified agents, the original parents of the baby were identified 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 clinic which led to several arrests. With the help of medical department, the clinic at Gopalapuram was seized and large-scale equipment was found at the area which substantiated the facts that the accused was conducting IVF treatments, creating live embryos, doing 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,” said north zone DCP S Rashmi Perumal.
The Medical and Health Department had cancelled the registration of the involved fertility clinic previously but the accused continued to operate the place from the building and putting the name of another certified doctor Dr Suri Shrimati on the official letterpads of the clinic.
The case was investigated and the accused were apprehended by a joint team from North zone police along with Task force teams.
Rashmi Perumal urged the public to remain cautious and avoid falling victim to fraudulent fertility or surrogacy services. Commercial surrogacy is banned as per Indian laws and such clinic which promises such surrogacy treatments must be immediately reported. Always consult only licensed and legally compliant medical professionals.