Hyderabad: A shocking surrogacy scam has come to light in Hyderabad, where a fertility clinic allegedly bought babies from vulnerable women and sold them to unsuspecting couples under the guise of legitimate IVF procedures.
The couple, who had paid ₹35 lakh to the clinic, became suspicious after noticing that the two-day-old infant looked nothing like them. Their concerns deepened when the clinic’s founder, Dr Athaluri Namratha, refused to allow DNA verification. The couple independently arranged testing in Delhi, which confirmed that the child was unrelated to them.
Following their complaint, Hyderabad police arrested eight people, including Dr Namratha (64), her son Pachipala Jayanth Krishna (25), clinic staff, a hospital anaesthetist, and even the biological parents of the baby, who were paid ₹90,000 to give up their child. The infant, now a month old, has been placed in state care at Shishu Vihar.
According to DCP S Rashmi Perumal, the couple were initially consulted at the clinic’s Gopalapuram branch before being referred to Visakhapatnam. They were promised a baby via surrogacy, and after nine months, handed a newborn along with forged documents naming them as the biological parents.
Investigations revealed that the clinic, operating across multiple cities, had trafficked babies by using forged medical records and birth certificates. Raids at branches in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam uncovered unlicensed IVF materials and falsified surrogacy documents. More than 10 cases have been filed, and over 50 leads are being pursued.
Authorities have issued a public warning against unlicensed fertility centres and reminded citizens that commercial surrogacy is illegal in India.
“We are committed to dismantling these unethical networks,” said DCP Rashmi. “Anyone found exploiting vulnerable women or deceiving families will face strict legal action.”