In a major crackdown, the Hyderabad Police have busted a sprawling illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket operating under the guise of fertility treatments. The kingpin, Dr Athaluri Namratha alias Pachipala Namratha, a 64-year-old doctor and owner of Universal Srushti Fertility Centres, was arrested along with seven others from across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The racket came to light after a couple approached the Gopalapuram Police alleging they had been defrauded by the fertility centre. The couple said they were made to believe they were undergoing surrogacy using their own biological material, but later discovered through a DNA test that the child they received had no biological link to them. The complaint prompted a multi-location investigation by the police.
The case was cracked by a joint task force comprising North Zone police, Gopalapuram Police, and the Hyderabad Task Force. The investigation was led by ACP Gopalapuram and supervised by DCP North Zone IPS S Rashmi Perumal.
According to the police, Dr Namratha, who has been in medical practice since 1995 and ventured into fertility services in 1998, had been collecting Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh per client, promising them biological children through IVF and surrogacy. However, in many cases, surrogate arrangements were a front for outright baby selling. Vulnerable women — including those seeking abortions — were allegedly lured into continuing their pregnancies in return for a small payout. Their newborns were then falsely documented as children of wealthy clients.
The Gopalapuram couple’s case followed a similar pattern. After initial consultations and payments, they were informed that the surrogate had delivered a baby via C-section in Visakhapatnam. They were asked to pay additional delivery charges and were handed over the baby along with falsified documentation, including a fake birth certificate. However, subsequent DNA test exposed the fertility centre.
Police identified and arrested the biological parents of the baby — a couple from Assam residing in Hyderabad — as well as other individuals involved in the operation. Raids on clinics in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam led to the seizure of medical equipment, mobile phones, digital devices, and extensive case records.
The arrested individuals include:
- Dr Athaluri Namratha – Key accused, owner of Universal Srushti Fertility Centres
- Pachipala Jayanth Krishna – Son of Dr Namratha, advocate and alleged intimidator of clients
- C Kalyani Atchayamma – Clinic Manager, Visakhapatnam
- Gollamandala Chenna Rao – Lab Technician and Embryologist
- Nargula Sadanandam – Anesthesia specialist at Gandhi Hospital
- Dhanasri Santoshi, Mohammed Ali Adik, and Nasreen Begum – Biological parents of the baby from Assam
The clinics operated in violation of medical regulations, with previously cancelled registrations and forged documents, including using the name of another certified doctor, Dr Suri Shrimati, on official records.
The police revealed that more than 10 prior cases had already been registered against the accused in multiple police stations across Visakhapatnam, Guntur, and Hyderabad. Despite earlier action by the Medical and Health Department — including cancellation of the clinic’s licence — the accused continued to operate illegally by exploiting regulatory loopholes.
Police have urged the public to avoid unlicensed surrogacy clinics and report any suspicious activity. They reiterated that commercial surrogacy is banned in India, and any such promise of child-bearing via paid surrogacy is illegal.
Those who suspect they may have fallen prey to similar scams are encouraged to approach their nearest police station or the Gopalapuram PS.
“Strict legal action will be taken against anyone involved in human trafficking, illegal surrogacy, or exploitation of vulnerable individuals,” said DCP Rashmi Perumal.
– Ends
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