Hyderabad Police uncovered a shocking baby-selling and illegal surrogacy operation running out of a fertility clinic after a DNA test revealed a newborn wasn’t biologically related to the couple who had paid for the surrogacy. Upon the revelation, the couple immediately alerted the authorities. Acting on the tip, police arrested eight people, including the clinic’s owner, Dr. Namratha.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone) S. Rashmi Perumal, Dr. Namratha exploited vulnerable women, especially those seeking abortions, convincing them to carry pregnancies to term in exchange for money. The infants were then falsely claimed to be born through legal surrogacy and handed over to paying couples.
The couple who exposed the racket had first consulted Dr. Namratha in August 2024 for IVF and fertility treatment. After tests, she recommended surrogacy and referred them to another clinic branch in Visakhapatnam, where their biological samples were collected. The clinic assured them a surrogate would be arranged and the embryo would be implanted.
Over the following nine months, the couple paid over ₹35 lakh for various services and updates. In June, they were told the surrogate had delivered a baby boy via cesarean section. When they received the baby, they were also given forged documents falsely stating they were the child’s biological parents.
A fake birth certificate had been created to complete the deception. A detailed investigation into the scam is currently underway.