Hyderabad IVF Scam Uncovers Baby-Selling Racket, 25 Arrested Including Doctors
A shocking investigation in Hyderabad has exposed a large-scale fake surrogacy and child trafficking racket operating under the guise of fertility services. At the centre of the scandal is the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad, which for over 15 years claimed to offer IVF and surrogacy — but in reality, no legitimate surrogacy procedures were ever performed.
According to Hyderabad Police North Zone DCP S Rashmi Perumal, the babies handed over to couples as “surrogate” children had no genetic link to them. Instead, they were bought from vulnerable biological parents — often struggling financially — for amounts as low as ₹90,000, and then sold to childless couples for up to ₹40 lakh.
The elaborate scam involved falsified DNA and medical reports to convince clients the child was biologically theirs. Girls were reportedly sold for ₹3.5 lakh, boys for ₹4.5 lakh. Police say the network exploited both desperate couples and struggling parents, with agents acting as middlemen.
So far, 25 people have been arrested, including four doctors, lab technicians, managers, agents, and even the biological parents of trafficked babies. The clinic’s owner, Dr Athaluri Namrata, and her son, advocate Pachipala SS Jayanth Krishna, are among those in custody. Authorities revealed Dr Namrata has a criminal history, with around 15 previous cases of cheating, child trafficking, and medical fraud in cities including Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur.
The racket came to light after a Rajasthan couple discovered through a DNA test that their “surrogate” child had no biological connection to them. Multiple similar cases have since emerged — including couples being handed unrelated dead infants or pre-term babies, then threatened when they confronted the accused.
Two abandoned babies from the scam are now in state care at Shishu Vihar after both biological and prospective parents refused to take them back. In another disturbing twist, police say the clinic even misused the name and licence of a 90-year-old gynaecologist without her knowledge.
Given the scale and severity of the crimes, the Hyderabad Police Commissioner has transferred the case to the Special Investigation Team of the Central Crime Station. The Telangana government has also ordered inspections of all fertility clinics in the state.
DCP Rashmi has urged the public to remain alert, reminding citizens that commercial surrogacy is illegal in India and warning against falling prey to unlicensed or fraudulent fertility services.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
