Latest news with #ANamratha
News18
7 days ago
- News18
Major Fake Surrogacy, Child Trafficking Racket Busted In Hyderabad; 25 Arrested
Last Updated: Twenty-five people, including doctors, were arrested in Hyderabad for running a fake surrogacy and child trafficking racket. Eight cases registered. Hyderabad police arrested twenty-five people, including doctors for allegedly running a fake surrogacy and child trafficking racket. The ill practices came to light last month when a couple filed a complaint against the clinic as the DNA of their surrogate child didn't match. Police, on Tuesday, said Dr A Namratha is the prime accused and owner of the fertility clinic where this racket was running. Based on an FIR filed on July 27 at Gopalapuram Police station, Namratha and her eight associates were arrested earlier. Investigation into the initial complaint revealed a larger network of fraud, with multiple victims coming forward with similar allegations of cheating, organized medical fraud and child trafficking, police said. Eight more criminal cases were registered against Namratha and her associates. They are accused of running an organised criminal network under the guise of fertility services, systematically exploiting vulnerable couples emotionally and financially, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone-Hyderabad) S Rashmi Perumal. During the investigation, police arrested a total of 25 individuals, including doctors, lab technicians, managers, agents, and biological parents of the trafficked babies. All were allegedly connected to the illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket operated under the guise of fertility treatments at branches of the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam, according to a release from Hyderabad Police. The victims paid lakhs of rupees for IVF treatments and later for surrogacy procedures. On the modus operandi of the accused, police said Dr Namratha established multiple fertility clinics in Secunderabad, Kondapur, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Bhubaneswar, and Kolkata. She initially claimed to treat patients for infertility and later promoted surrogacy, assuring that all legal formalities would be handled by her clinic. After collecting large sums from clients, she obtained biological samples and provided regular updates on the 'progress" of the pregnancy via phone. During delivery, babies were procured from vulnerable mothers through a network of agents and handed over to clients, falsely claiming they were from their own samples, police said. Fake medical and DNA reports were created to support the deception. In this, the sample of the original mother was used instead of the victim and the accused deceived the victims. It was found that agents were paid Rs 3.5 lakh for a girl and Rs 4.5 lakh for a boy, while clients were charged up to Rs 30–40 lakh in each case, police added. Dr Namratha was previously was involved in about 15 criminal cases including Gopalapuram, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur, in which some were compromised and other are still under trial in the courts, police said. Considering the gravity of the offence, with orders of Commissioner of Police Hyderabad, the cases will be transferred to Central Crime Station–SIT for further investigation, the release added. view comments First Published: August 13, 2025, 09:03 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
07-08-2025
- NDTV
80 Couples May Have Been Cheated In Surrogacy, IVF Scam In Telangana
Hyderabad: As many as 25 people have been arrested by the Hyderabad Police in the ongoing probe into the surrogacy and baby trafficking racket at the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad. The latest eight individuals arrested include agents, staff members of the clinic, and even the biological parents of an infant. This followed the custodial interrogation of the prime accused, Dr A Namratha who is suspected to have cheated as many as 80 couples. The investigation, which began after a couple discovered a baby given to them through surrogacy was not biologically theirs, has expanded to include multiple cases of cheating and fraud. The North Zone district police have registered eight FIRs so far, with new complaints continuing to surface. Whether surrogate babies should be genetically tested to see if their DNA matches either of the adoptive parents, should it be made mandatory, is also being debated. Victims were allegedly charged exorbitant fees, ranging from Rs 12.5 lakh to Rs 44 lakh, for In vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy services, only to be given a child with no genetic link to them. In some cases, the clinic allegedly failed to provide a child at all, even after receiving full payment. Investigators have unearthed evidence suggesting that the network, led by Dr Namratha, may have trafficked more babies than previously known. Senior officials said they do not yet know the full extent of the deceit but the possibility of more victims is being actively investigated. The probe has also revealed that the racket had a wide network of agents, including some from outside Telangana, who were responsible for luring vulnerable women to become surrogate mothers or sell their infants. The focus is also on the financial trail, with police examining digital and cash transactions to determine the flow of money and possible tax evasion. The money laundering angle is also being investigated and the authorities have said they may alert the Enforcement Directorate if evidence of this is found. This even as five of the accused, including Dr Namratha, have filed for bail and police want custody for further questioning. The Telangana government has also formed a high-level committee to inspect private IVF clinics and fertility centers across the state. The committee has been asked to verify compliance with the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, and will submit its findings within ten days. Among those taken into custody is Dr Vidyulatha, a medical practitioner from Visakhapatnam, who is accused of being a close associate of Dr Namratha and assisting in the drafting of fake medical notes and facilitating illegal procedures. A new and significant charge of impersonation has also been added to the case. This follows the discovery that Dr Namratha allegedly used the medical license of a 94-year-old doctor without his knowledge to carry out unauthorized procedures. The police suspect that certificates from other qualified doctors may also have been misused, prompting a separate FIR to be filed. The investigation has reportedly revealed a disturbing pattern of deceit, where Dr Namratha allegedly insisted couples opt for surrogacy even when they were medically fit for natural conception. The clinic would then use newborns obtained through other means, including from poor families, and pass them off as the biological children of the commissioning couples, it is alleged.
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Time of India
Doctor in trafficking net insisted couple opt for surrogacy despite being fit to conceive
Hyderabad: Citing her 25 years of experience, Dr A Namratha of Srushti Test Tube Baby Centre — arrested by Hyderabad police along with seven others in the alleged baby-selling racket — insisted that the complainant couple opt for surrogacy. This, despite the couple's medical tests confirming them fit to conceive. The tests were worth Rs 66,000. These revelations have come to light in the remand report filed by Gopalapuram police recently. The report also stated that the doctor used to store all surrogacy-related documentation in a separate consultancy room to keep it out of the reach of the staff and ensure that none of the records were handed over to patients. The remand report stated that the complainant couple was told by Dr Namratha in September last year that a healthy embryo was successfully implanted in the surrogate and confirmation of pregnancy was awaited. "Believing this the couple made further payments…...Dr Namratha later confirmed the pregnancy (to the complainants) over a phone call and periodically shared some medical reports, but withheld originals and did not allow complainant to retain even digital copies, often forcing them to leave their phones outside her office," the report added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Dr Namratha promised the complainants that a healthy child would be delivered to them after DNA confirmation and for that, their own sperm and eggs would be used to develop embryos. However, she handed them a two-day-old boy born to an Assamese couple, under the pretext that the child was biologically theirs. According to the remand report, when the complainants confronted Dr Namratha about it, she "verbally accepted her mistake" and sought time to resolve it. "But the couple could not reach her after that despite trying multiple times," the report added. Cops have also found that another accused, Dr N Sadanandam of Gandhi Hospital, used to supply anaesthesia to Dr Namratha despite knowing that the centre was running without registration. The Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) has served a show cause notice to both the jailed doctors. While eight accused have been arrested in the case, three others - Kalpana, Sanjay and Nandini - are absconding. MSID:: 123044508 413 |
Time of India
27-07-2025
- Time of India
Fertility scam busted: 8 held in baby-selling scam in Hyderabad; clinic run by mother-son duo
Representative image NEW DELHI: An illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket operating out of a fertility clinic in Hyderabad was busted Sunday, leading to the arrest of eight individuals, including the clinic's owner and fertility specialist, Dr A Namratha. A detailed investigation revealed that Namratha, 64, was running a large-scale scam through clinics located in Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Kondapur. She allegedly collected between Rs 20–30 lakh from each client under false pretenses, police said. Police further disclosed that Namratha's son, an advocate by profession, managed the clinic's financial operations from the same premises. He also reportedly intimidated clients who raised objections. Authorities, as cited by PTI, added that over 10 previous cases had been registered against the accused at various police stations across Andhra Pradesh. Despite the medical and health department cancelling the clinic's registration earlier, it continued operations using the name of another certified doctor on official documents. The clinic at Gopalapuram in Hyderabad was sealed with assistance from the medical department. The racket resurfaced after a couple, who believed their child was born through surrogacy, discovered through a DNA test that the baby was not biologically theirs. Alarmed, the couple approached the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone–Hyderabad) S Rashmi Perumal told PTI that Dr Namratha, along with her associates and agents, targeted vulnerable women—particularly those seeking abortions—and persuaded them to continue their pregnancies in exchange for money or other inducements. These newborns were then passed off as surrogate babies, misleading clients into believing they were their biological children. According to the police, the victim couple had approached Namratha's clinic in August 2024 for fertility and IVF consultation. After initial tests, they were advised to opt for surrogacy. They were then referred to the clinic's Visakhapatnam branch for specimen collection and were told the clinic would arrange a surrogate and handle the embryo transplant. Over the course of nine months, the couple made several payments totaling more than Rs 35 lakh. In June 2025, they were informed that a baby boy had been delivered via C-section in Visakhapatnam. The child was handed over to them along with documentation falsely listing them as the biological parents. "The baby was not shown as a child born to a surrogate, which drew their suspicion. Later, the couple went in for DNA test which revealed that the child's DNA did not match theirs," said Rashmi. When the couple sought clarification from the clinic, they were denied documentation and threatened, prompting them to file a police complaint. In the current case, police traced the baby's biological parents, originally from Assam and residing in Hyderabad, through agents. They had reportedly been paid a small amount after giving up the child. Both were arrested on charges of baby selling, and the infant has been handed over to 'Shishu Vihar' as per protocol. Dismissing certain media reports, Rashmi clarified, "It is a case wherein the victim couple were told that they were going in for surrogacy, but in reality the baby was sold by the original parents and that the baby was shown to this complainant couple (by the accused) as their child. But when they did the DNA test it was revealed as not matching with theirs." She also refuted claims that the child had cancer or that donor sperm had been used, reported PTI. The investigation remains underway, and additional legal action is being taken.
