Unauthorised fertility clinic raided,47 surrogate moms rescued

Police yesterday raided a fertility clinic, which they suspect was being run illegally, in posh Banjara Hills area of the city and rescued as many as 47 surrogate mothers confined in the two-floor building, an officer said today.

According to police, the owner of the centre was running the facility without any requisite permission.

"Following allegations of irregularities, the clinic was raided. The women in various stages of pregnancy were not allowed to go outside till delivery. There were around 47 surrogate mothers and most of them belong to Delhi, Hyderabad and other parts of the country. We have informed the district health officials who visited the centre along with doctors and they seized the available records," Task Force (central zone) Inspector S Srinivas Rao said.

The owner of the facility told police that he was collecting Rs 15-30 lakh from couples and paying Rs 2.5-3.5 lakh to the women who have rented their wombs, he said.

It was also found that no records regarding the surrogate mothers as well as biological parents were maintained by the clinic, the inspector said, adding that the probe is on.

The officer refused to give the name of the owner, saying investigation is underway.

Further action will be initiated based on the outcome of the investigation, he said, adding that efforts are underway to shift the rescued women to government hospitals.