6 hours ago
Commercial surrogacy, illegal egg trading racket busted in Medchal; prime accused was surrogate mother earlier
Cyberabad's Petbasheerabad police arrested a group of eight persons, including two agents and six women who were egg donors or surrogate mothers, for running a commercial surrogacy and illegal human egg trading racket in Medchal.
The police identified the prime accused as Narreddula Laxmi Reddy of Chilakaluripeta, Andhra Pradesh, and her son, Narender Reddy, a chemical engineering graduate from JNTU, who is accused of assisting her in the operation.
The six women arrested for allegedly acting as egg donors or surrogate mothers were identified as Golconda Sai Leela from Bidar district, Karnataka; Malagalla Venkata Laxmi and Sadala Satyavathi from Rampachodavaram in Andhra Pradesh; P. Sunitha from Alluri Seetharamaraju district, Andhra Pradesh; and Pantada Aparna and J. Ramanamma from Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh.
Laxmi was an egg donor and surrogate mother earlier
Investigations revealed that Laxmi, who had previously worked as an egg donor and surrogate mother, exploited her contacts with fertility clinics and other agents to recruit financially vulnerable women. These women were persuaded to donate eggs or become surrogates and were referred to clinics in Hyderabad for large sums of money. The role of fertility centres and hospitals involved in the racket are being verified.
Madchal deputy commissioner of police (DCP) N. Koti Ready said that she housed them at her residence and collected additional maintenance charges from the hospitals involved.
Intending parents were charged between ₹10 lakh-₹20 lakh
According to official, intending parents were charged anywhere between ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh, while surrogate mothers received ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh for the procedure.
Items seized from the accused include ₹6.47 lakh in cash, a laptop, promissory notes and non judicial bond papers, medical supplies such as hormone injections and syringes, hospital case sheets, and multiple mobile phones.
Laxmi, who has a prior criminal case in Mumbai for similar offences, and the others have been booked under the Surrogacy Regulation Act, the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Juvenile Justice Act.
The raid was conducted by the Petbasheerabad police, Medchal Special Operation Team (SOT), the district medical and health officer. The accused were produced in court while efforts continue to trace others connected to the racket.
