Hyderabad: The police in Hyderabad have filed eight more criminal cases against Dr. Athaluri Namrata, the owner of Universal Srushti Fertility Center, and her associates. They are accused of running an illegal surrogacy and child trafficking operation. So far, 25 people have been arrested.
S Rashmi Perumal, DCP North Zone, stated that due to the seriousness of the offenses, these cases will be handed over to the Central Crime Station (CCS) Special Investigation Team (SIT) for further investigation, as directed by the Hyderabad Police Commissioner.
The Gopalapuram police accuse the group of operating a criminal network disguised as a fertility service, exploiting vulnerable couples emotionally and financially.
The first complaint was filed on July 27, 2025, against Dr. Namrata and her team for deceiving a couple with false surrogacy claims. During the investigation, 25 people, including doctors, lab technicians, managers, agents, and the birth parents of trafficked babies, were arrested. These activities took place at the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre’s branches in Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam.
Investigations revealed a broader scheme of deceit, with multiple victims reporting similar scams involving medical fraud and child trafficking. Eight additional cases have been registered at Gopalapuram Police Station, citing various legal violations. The accused allegedly charged a couple Rs 22 lakh for surrogacy and then presented them with a deceased child, falsely claiming it was theirs. It was later discovered that an unrelated pregnant woman had given birth to the child, who died due to health issues.
In another instance, a victim paid Rs 12.5 lakh for surrogacy but was not informed about the surrogate’s identity. Other victims spent around Rs 19 lakh for IVF and surrogacy, receiving a pre-term baby whose DNA did not match theirs. When questioned, the accused threatened the victims, prompting them to file a complaint. Another victim paid Rs 11 lakh for surrogacy services.
One case involved a 90-year-old gynecologist, Dr. Suri Shrimathi, whose name and credentials were fraudulently used by the accused on medical documents to mislead victims.
Dr. Namrata established fertility clinics in several cities, including Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Bhubaneswar, and Kolkata. She initially offered infertility treatments and later promoted surrogacy services, claiming her clinic would handle all legal matters. Clients paid large sums, and biological samples were collected. The clinic provided false updates on pregnancies. At delivery, babies were obtained from vulnerable mothers through agents and given to clients with fake documents, falsely claiming they were their biological offspring.
Agents were paid Rs 3.5 lakh for a girl and Rs 4.5 lakh for a boy, while clients were charged Rs 30-40 lakh. The scheme involved a network across states, exploiting legal loopholes and targeting distressed couples.
The police urge the public to be cautious of fraudulent fertility or surrogacy services. Commercial surrogacy is banned in India, and any clinic offering such services should be reported. Always consult licensed and compliant medical professionals.
