Hyderabad: ED conducts searches in connection with surrogacy racket

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has unearthed a decade-long illegal surrogacy racket allegedly run by Dr. Pachipalli Namratha through her clinic, Universal Srusthi Fertility and Research Centre. Searches across multiple cities led to the seizure of documents revealing fraud, child trafficking, and property acquisition using proceeds of crime.

Hyderabad: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad conducted search operations at nine locations in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam in connection with an illegal surrogacy racket run by Dr. Pachipalli Namratha alias Athluri Namratha in the name of Universal Srusthi Fertility and Research Centre.

The searches resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents related to the racket including the details of couples defrauded by Dr. Namratha and properties in her possession.

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The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Gopalapuram Police Station, Hyderabad for fraud, cheating, criminal conspiracy, illegal surrogacy and child trafficking.

Dr. Namratha was allegedly providing childless couples with a child through a surrogacy racket that she had orchestrated through her clinic along with her employees and agents.

The ED investigation revealed that several couples were cheated in the aforesaid manner by Dr. Namratha and huge amounts were collected from them by way of cheque and cash. Part of the amount was paid to the surrogates/women who gave up their children and the agents who facilitated the process got their commission.

“The majority of the proceeds of crime were kept by Dr. Namratha which was used by her for personal purposes including acquisition of properties.

Searches conducted by the ED resulted in the seizure of documents which revealed that she was offering such services to couples across India in different centers in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Nellore, Kolkata, etc,” the ED stated in a press release.

“Seized documents also revealed that Dr. Namratha was involved in these activities for more than 10 years. She created legal documents in the form of surrogacy agreements to project that the childless couples and carrier (surrogate) themselves approached her and she was just providing the surrogacy services. The seized material also includes documents of properties acquired by her out of Proceeds of Crime,” said the officials.

Further investigation is under progress.