DCP (North) S. Rashmi Perumal along with Gopalapuram police staff during the press conference of the racket at North Zone DCP office on Sunday, July 27.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
A large-scale illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket run under the guise of fertility treatment has been uncovered by the North Zone Police, with at least 10 individuals arrested, including the head of a well-known IVF chain.
The Prime Accused, Athaluri Namratha, Alias Pachipala Namratha, 64, is the Owner of Universal Srushti Fertility Centeres Operating ACROSS Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh, SAID DCP (North DCP (North).
Raids on the Gopalapuram and Visakhapatnam branches led to the recovery of medical equipment, surrogacy records, forged documents, and digital devices. The clinics were operated without valid licences, and procedures involving embryo creation and implantation were being conducted in violation of medical regulations, explained the DCP.
“Dr. Namratha, along with her son Pachipala Jayanth Krishna, 25, and several staff members and associates, is alleged to have orchestrated a network that misled childless couples through fraudulent surrogacy claims while trafficking newborns in the name of fertility treatment,” said the officer.
The other accused include C. Kalyani Atchayyamma, 40, manager at the Visakhapatnam branch; Gollamandala Chenna Rao, 37, a lab technician and an embryologist; and Nargula Sadanandam, 41, an anaesthesia specialist at Gandhi Hospital.
The racket came to light after the Gopalapuram police station received a complaint from a couple who had approached the clinic in August 2024 seeking IVF assistance. After being advised to opt for surrogacy, they were referred to their Visakhapatnam branch, where embryo procedures were reportedly conducted. “The clinic kept the couple updated about the surrogate’s ‘pregnancy’ and in June claimed that a baby boy had been born via C-section. After paying an additional amount for delivery expenses, the couple received the infant and were handed forged documents, including a birth certificate that falsely named them as biological parents,” explained the DCP.
Suspicions arose when the couple undertook a DNA test, which confirmed that the child bore no biological relation to them. When they demanded answers, the clinic allegedly refused to cooperate and issued threats, prompting them to approach the police.
A detailed investigation revealed that Dr. Namratha had been running an unauthorised surrogacy and baby-selling operation after shifting to IVF services since 1998.
“The clients were charged between ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh under the pretext of fertility treatment. Women, often those seeking abortions, were persuaded to carry unwanted pregnancies to term for money. These babies were handed over to clients as surrogacy outcomes with fake documents,” added the officer.
In the current case, the biological parents of the child, migrants from Assam currently residing in Hyderabad, were also arrested. Police stated they were paid a nominal amount before being sent back after the child’s delivery in Vizag.
Dr. Namratha’s son, an advocate, is accused of handling financial transactions and intimidating dissatisfied clients. He allegedly ran an office from the same premises. The DCP also said that the clinic had previously had its registration cancelled by the Medical and Health Department, but continued to operate by fraudulently using another doctor’s credentials on their letterheads.
Several past cases against the clinic have been registered at police stations in Visakhapatnam, Guntur, and Hyderabad, including Maharanipeta, II Town, Kothapeta, and Gopalapuram. The police believe more victims are yet to come forward.
Published – July 27, 2025 07:16 PM is
