Hyderabad: The Hyderabad City Police, with assistance from the Medical and Health Department, uncovered an illegal surrogacy and baby-selling operation. They arrested eight people, including a doctor and the owner of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre located in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh.
The individuals arrested are Dr. Athaluri Namratha Pachipala (64), the center’s owner, and her associates Pachipala Jayanth Krishna (25), C Kalyani Atchayyamma (40), a manager at the center, Gollamandala Chenna Rao (37), a lab technician and embryologist, Nargula Sadanandam (41), an anesthesia specialist and doctor at Gandhi Hospital, and Dhanasri Santoshi (38), Mohammed Ali Adik (38), and Nasreen Begum (25), who are from Assam.
The case began when a couple visited the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Gopalapuram in August 2024 for fertility advice. Dr. Namratha suggested surrogacy after conducting tests. The couple was then directed to another clinic branch in Visakhapatnam for sample collection, with the promise that a surrogate and embryo transplant would be handled by the clinic.
Over nine months, the couple paid significant amounts to the clinic and received updates about the baby’s health. In June 2025, they were informed that a baby boy was delivered via C-section in Visakhapatnam. They were asked to pay additional delivery charges and collect the baby from there, as stated by DCP S Rashmi Perumal.
The couple received the baby in Vizag with documents falsely registering the child as their own. They paid over Rs 35 lakh for the procedures. A later DNA test showed the child was not biologically theirs. When they sought more information from the clinic, they received threats and were denied further documentation, prompting them to contact the police.
DCP Rashmi revealed that Dr. Namratha had been running a large illegal surrogacy and fertility operation. She began practicing medicine in 1995 and shifted to fertility services in 1998. Over time, she engaged in unethical activities, charging clients Rs 20 – Rs 30 lakh under false pretenses. Vulnerable women, often those seeking abortions, were coaxed into continuing pregnancies for money. These babies were then falsely presented as surrogacy cases to clients.
The true parents of one baby, who were from Assam and residing in Hyderabad, were identified. Their baby’s delivery was arranged in Vizag. After the baby was handed over, the original parents received a small payment and returned to Hyderabad. They were also arrested for involvement in baby selling.
Raids on clinics in Hyderabad and Vizag led to arrests. The Gopalapuram clinic was seized, revealing large quantities of medical equipment, confirming that unlicensed IVF treatments and other medical procedures were conducted there.
Police seized medical tools, medicines, phones, digital devices, and documentation related to surrogacy with help from medical officials. Over ten cases had already been filed against the clinic.
Authorities continue to investigate, pursuing further legal measures. The Medical and Health Department had previously revoked the clinic’s registration, yet the accused continued operations under another certified doctor’s name, Dr. Suri Shrimati, on official documents.
