Hyderabad clinic busted for selling babies under fake IVF claims

Authorities in Hyderabad have unearthed a shocking surrogacy racket running out of the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad.

The scheme involved purchasing babies from financially vulnerable families for as little as ₹90,000 and selling them to childless couples for up to ₹35 lakh, falsely presenting them as babies born via in‑vitro fertilization or surrogacy.

The fraud came to light after a couple from Rajasthan filed a complaint following a DNA test that confirmed the child handed to them had no genetic link to either parent.

Police investigations revealed forged medical documents, false birth certificates, and impersonated procedures aimed at deceiving customers.

At least eight people — including clinic owner Dr. Athaluri Namratha (aged 64), her son Pachipala Jayanth Krishna, clinic managers, lab technicians, and anesthesiologists — have been arrested in connection with the scam.

Arrested individuals also include the biological parents of the infant, who were allegedly paid to hand over their newborn.

The complainants had reportedly paid over ₹35 lakh to the clinic, which falsely claimed the entire procedure was legally compliant. Meanwhile, the baby was procured from a poor couple, and delivered in Visakhapatnam with falsified records.

Subsequent raids in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam uncovered seizable evidence, including IVF-related documents, medical equipment, and digital records. Investigators confirm that the clinic continued operating illegally even after its licence had been revoked.

Further investigations are underway. Authorities are now probing whether the clinic was part of a larger network involving unlicensed firms like Indian Sperm Tech, and others engaged in trafficking reproductive materials across states.

Police have issued public advisories warning against unlicensed fertility clinics. They emphasized that commercial surrogacy is illegal in India and strongly urged anyone with suspicions about fraudulent surrogacy or fertility services to report it immediately.