Latest news with #Namratha
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Custody plea filed in illegal surrogacy, baby-selling case
HYDERABAD: Gopalapuram police have filed a custody petition before the Secunderabad court seeking further interrogation of Dr Athaluri Namratha, the prime accused in an illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket. Police said Namratha was running a large-scale scam through her chain of fertility clinics, Universal Srushti Fertility Centres, in several cities. While she began her medical practice in 1995 and moved into IVF by 1998, police allege she later turned to unethical practices, charging clients Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh under false promises. Namratha and her associates allegedly targeted vulnerable women, particularly those seeking abortions, and lured them into carrying pregnancies in exchange for money. The newborns were then falsely presented as babies born through surrogacy.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Hyderabad surrogacy racket: 'Parents' refuse custody of infant after DNA report; CWC to declare child free for adoption if no claim made in 2 months
HYDERABAD: Caught in the middle of the alleged baby-selling racket busted by Hyderabad police, the fate of a nearly two-month-old infant now hangs in balance. As per protocol, the boy has been temporarily shifted to the govt-run Sishu Vihar in Ameerpet. But what his future holds, is tough to guess just yet. The city couple who was given the infant on June 5 by Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad run by prime accused Dr Namratha - under the false pretext of the kid being their biological son - has refused to take him back. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad And while the child welfare committee (CWC) rules allow for the biological parents to stake claim to the child till up to two months from the day he/she is taken to the shelter home, even that appears unlikely as the parents are in Chanchalguda jail. Clinic paid Rs 90k to biological parents for their newborn They were among the eight arrested by Gopalapuram police on July 27 for various charges including cheating and forgery. Initial investigation reveals that the biological parents, originally from Assam and settled in Hyderabad, were paid Rs 90,000 by the fertility clinic in exchange for their newborn. The baby was handed over to the Hyderabad couple — complainants in the case — two days later. They were told the child was born through surrogacy and charged around Rs 35 lakh for it. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses In Bantuas Container House | Search ads Search Now But after a DNA test rubbished the clinic's claim, the couple filed a police complaint and have since refused possession of the child. 'The couple feels that they have been deceived. They do not want the child since he is not biologically theirs,' said a senior official from the Telangana health, family and welfare dept. He added: 'Moreover, the facial features of the child are distinctly different from them as the child was born to a couple from another region.' Repeated attempts to reach the complainants for a comment failed. Officials at Sishu Vihar, meanwhile, said that the child will remain there until the police inquiry is completed. This is keeping with the Central Adoption Resource Authority guidelines, which govern the process of adoption in India. 'Once the inquiry is done, the CWC will issue public notification asking biological parents or relatives to come forward to claim the child. This will be in force for two months,' said an official from the adoption cell of the WCD. They will also have to produce valid documents and meet eligibility criteria, such as a stable home environment, to establish their claim. 'But if no one comes forward during this period, the child will be declared legally free for adoption under the Juvenile Justice Act. At that point, the child will become eligible for adoption by prospective parents, following CARA's official guidelines,' the official added.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Not my child: In Hyderabad, a clinic of lies
NEW DELHI: In a chilling twist to a suspected surrogacy scam, Hyderabad police have arrested eight people — including doctors and agents — for allegedly duping a Rajasthan-based couple by handing them a baby bought from a poor family and passing it off as their own biological child born through IVF. The racket centres around the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad, run by Dr Athaluri Namratha (64), who is the prime accused. Among those arrested is Dr Nargula Sadanandam (41), an anesthetist at the state-run Gandhi Hospital, along with technicians and agents who allegedly facilitated the baby trade. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad HOW THE SCAM UNFOLDED August 2024 : The couple from Rajasthan approached the Secunderabad clinic for IVF consultation. Advised surrogacy : Dr Namratha allegedly convinced them to go for surrogacy, claiming their embryo would be implanted in a surrogate. Vizag referral : The couple was then asked to visit the Visakhapatnam branch for further procedures. Rs 35 lakh paid : Over the following months, the couple made payments totalling Rs 35 lakh. June 2025 : They were informed that the surrogate had delivered a baby boy via C-section. Rs 2 lakh extra : The clinic allegedly demanded Rs 2 lakh as delivery charges and handed over the baby — along with forged documentation. DNA shocker : Suspicious, the couple had a DNA test conducted in Delhi — which confirmed the baby was not genetically related to them. According to police sources, the clinic had actually bought the baby from a poor family for just Rs 90,000 and presented it as the result of the surrogacy. "The couple were misled into believing the child was theirs. The clinic fabricated the entire surrogacy procedure, and forged papers to hand over a baby purchased from another family," said a senior Hyderabad police officer, adding that more victims may come forward as the investigation progresses. Police have also flagged that Dr Namratha had been previously linked to a 2020 child trafficking case. Further investigation is underway to determine the scale of the operation, the involvement of hospital staff, and how many such 'IVF' babies were in fact trafficked.
News18
3 days ago
- News18
Couple Find Surrogate Baby's DNA Not Linked To Them, Doctor Arrested In Major Surrogacy Racket
Last Updated: An illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket was busted in Hyderabad with the arrest of at least 10 people, including a doctor. A major illegal surrogacy and sperm trafficking racket has unravelled in the twin city of Hyderabad-Secunderabad. The Hyderabad police raided a fertility centre in Regimental Bazaar after a couple found out that the DNA of their child, born through surrogacy catered by the fertility centre, does not match with them. Police have arrested at least 10 persons in connection with the case, including a doctor. The accused, Dr Namrata, is the manager of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Regimental Bazaar. As per the police, the accused used to target vulnerable women, particularly those seeking abortions, and lured them into continuing pregnancies in exchange for money and other reasons. The newborns were handed over to the couple who had approached the clinic for surrogacy. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone-Hyderabad) S Rashmi Perumal said people were misled by the clinic into believing the babies were biologically theirs. Charged Rs 35 Lakh For Surrogacy The couple who approached the police stated that they had approached the fertility clinic in August 2024 for fertility and IVF consultation. Dr Namratha conducted their fertility-related tests and advised them to go for surrogacy. The DCP told PTI that the couple was directed to another branch of the clinic at Visakhapatnam for collection of specimens and were told that the surrogate would be arranged by the clinic and the embryo would be transplanted to the surrogate. Over the course of nine months, the couple made several payments to the clinic. In June this year, the complainant was informed that the surrogate had delivered a baby boy via C-section in Visakhapatnam. Overall, the clinic took over Rs 35 lakh from the couple as consultation charges for the procedures, police said. The baby boy and a 'false" birth certificate document were given to the couple. When the couple tried to get in touch with the clinic they were refused any documentation and were threatened, which prompted them to approach the police, the senior police official said. Illegal Rackets Operated Across Multiple Locations Based on the complaint, a detailed investigation was conducted on Saturday which revealed that Dr Namratha was allegedly conducting a large-scale illegal surrogacy and fertility 'scam". The main accused operated fertility centers in Vijayawada, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Kondapur, police said. Over the years, she expanded into unethical and illegal practices, collecting Rs 20-Rs 30 lakh from each client under false promises, police said. With the help of the medical department, the clinic at Gopalapuram in Hyderabad was sealed, police said. The Medical and Health Department had cancelled the registration of the involved fertility clinic previously, but the accused continued to operate from the building and put the name of another certified doctor on the official letterheads of the clinic. view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 07:34 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.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
2 docs, 6 others arrested for surrogacy scam, trafficking infants
Hyderabad: In a twist to the surrogacy case involving a fertility clinic in Secunderabad, police have found that the baby was allegedly bought from a poor family and given to the city couple who sought IVF treatment in 2024. Police said the clinic suggested that the couple opt for surrogacy instead and assured them that the child would be biologically theirs. They were charged Rs 35 lakh for the procedure. On Sunday, Hyderabad police arrested eight people including prime accused Dr Athaluri Namratha (64) of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre, Dr Nargula Sadanandam (41) an anesthetist from the state-run Gandhi Hospital and agents and technicians. They were booked on charges of cheating clients in the name of a surrogacy procedure and running a baby-selling racket. Cops also found that Srushti's licence had been cancelled in 2021. Dr Namratha was running it illegally. She has been operating three more centres in Kondapur (Hyderabad), Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam. All of them were raided on Sunday. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad "The latest case appears to be only the tip of the iceberg; there could be many such cases. We are probing other couples who sought surrogacy and IVF treatment at different branches of the fertility centre to ascertain this," said S Rashmi Perumal, DCP (north zone). Previously, Dr Namratha came under scrutiny twice – in 2016 and 2020. In the first case her licence was suspended for five years by the Telangana Medical Council after an NRI couple from the US alleged that the newborn given to them, allegedly through surrogacy, was not biologically related to them. Then in 2020 Vizag police arrested Dr Namratha and five others for allegedly trafficking newborns. Police said that more than 10 cases were previously registered against the accused doctor and her clinic at three places – Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Guntur. The latest incident came to light on July 26 when a city-based couple approached the Gopalapuram police alleging that the baby handed to them by the clinic – also known as Srushti Test Tube Baby Centre – following commercial surrogacy, was not biologically related to the father. They had independently run a DNA test to establish this. The couple allegedly paid Rs 35 lakh for the procedure. "After interrogating the prime accused we have established that it is not a case of surrogacy. Dr Namratha and her employees were selling infants to childless couples bought from poor pregnant women who were lured with money," said the DCP. She added: "The biological parents of the baby, who have also been arrested, belong to Assam and were living in Hyderabad. They were paid Rs 90,000 and the mother was sent to Visakhapatnam for delivery." The baby boy was two days old when he was sold to the complainant couple under the impression that it is their biological son. Among the others arrested are Dr Namratha's son P Jayanth Krishna (25), a practising advocate who used to manage his mother's funds, two employees of the clinic C Kalyani Atchayyamma (40) and G Chenna Rao (37), and an agent Dhanasri Santoshi (38). The biological parents of the infant have been identified as Mohammed Ali Adik (38) and Nasreen Begum (25). While seven of the accused have been sent to 14-day judicial remand to Chanchalguda jail, C Kalyani, an employee at Visakhapatnam branch is being brought to Hyderabad. "Apart from the illegal trade, the accused are also guilty of indulging in commercial surrogacy which is illegal in India. Only altruistic surrogacy is allowed," the DCP said. Approached clinic in Aug 2024 Senior police officials said the complainants, originally from Rajasthan, approached the fertility centre in Aug 2024 for fertility and IVF consultation. During the visit, Dr Namratha conducted fertility tests and advised the couple to opt for surrogacy. They were asked to visit the clinic's Visakhapatnam branch for further procedures. "They were assured that a surrogate would be arranged by the clinic and that their embryo would be transplanted. Over a span of nine months, the couple made multiple payments for consultation, treatment, and surrogate care," said a police official, adding, "Throughout this period, the clinic provided regular updates claiming that the pregnancy was progressing smoothly." In June 2025, the couple was informed that the surrogate mother delivered a baby boy via C-section in Visakhapatnam. They were asked to pay an additional delivery charge – of Rs 2 lakh – before taking custody of the child. The clinic claimed that the child's biological father was demanding more money. "Upon reaching Vizag, the baby was handed over along with documents falsely indicating that the child was biologically theirs, including a fabricated birth certificate," said the cop. When the complainants asked Dr Namratha for the DNA report they found that it was not done before the registration of the baby on their name. However, the clinic representatives kept falsely assuring the couple that the child belonged to them. Suspicion arose when the couple opted for a DNA test of all three in a forensics lab in Vasant Kunj, Delhi, which revealed that neither of them shared any genetic link with the child. "When they tried to seek clarification from the clinic, Dr Namratha initially blocked their numbers before threatening them and denying access to further documentation," said the police official. She said that the couple, fed up with the clinic's behaviour, approached Gopalapuram police around a week ago and lodged a complaint. "With malicious intentions, the accused Dr Namratha did not let the complainant couple meet the biological mother, who they believed was the surrogate," said the DCP Centre seized; had tricked health dept earlier Following the complaint, the police, along with health dept officials, seized the fertility centre at Gopalapuram. Officials said they found equipment which substantiated the facts that the accused were offering IVF treatments, creating live embryos, and carrying out medical procedures without any proper license. "Previously, when health officials visited the clinic for inspection on a quarterly basis, it was closed and seemed to be a residential complex. But, it turns out, patients were coming discreetly," said Dr J Venkati, district medical health officer (DMHO), Hyderabad. The DMHO added: "During the recent crackdown, equipment for sex determination and nitrous oxide were also found. Many other pregnancy-related procedures such as MTP, IVF, and others were also being performed by uncertified professionals at the centre." The DCP alleged that clients who protested were intimidated and threatened by her advocate son, who ran an office from the same premises.
