Hyderabad fertility clinic busted for surrogacy fraud; baby bought for Rs 90,000

A DNA test has exposed a Rs 35 lakh surrogacy scam at Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad. The clinic allegedly sold babies to childless couples, trafficked gametes across states, and forged records. Ten people, including the doctor, have been arrested.

Hyderabad: In the end, it was a DNA test report that blew the lid off Secunderabad-based fertility centre’s sordid affairs and exposed the unethical practices adopted by a doctor and her team in cheating scores of childless couples.

The first whiff of such a large scale medical scam emerged when a childless couple developed suspicions of being cheated by the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in their promise of a surrogate child.

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As the police begin peeling back layers of what could be a larger fraud, the fertility clinic finds itself at the center of a scandal.

Founded by Dr.P.Athaluri Namratha in 1995 (with fertility services starting around 1998), the clinic operated under the name Universal Srushti Fertility Centre, with branches across Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Kondapur.

Due to possession of sex determination equipment, Namratha’s medical licence was cancelled once in the past and despite this, she allegedly continued operations using another doctor’s credentials and unlicensed scanning machinery.

A Rajasthani couple living in Secunderabad sought surrogacy services in August 2024, paid approximately Rs 35 lakh, and were later handed a baby in Visakhapatnam in June 2025. Subsequent DNA testing of their child revealed no genetic relation to either parent.

The couple alleged that despite repeated DNA requests, the clinic delayed, and Dr.Namratha vanished after being confronted with the evidence, prompting the couple to file a complaint with the Gopalapuram police.

Police authorities discovered that the “surrogacy” baby had been purchased from an Assamese couple for Rs 90,000 and passed off as the couple’s child.

Investigations also revealed a systematic extraction and trafficking of sperm and eggs across states notably Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh via a sperm bank.

The police have until now arrested ten persons in connection with the case including Dr. Namratha, clinic managers, lab technicians, a government anaesthesiologist, the biological parents, and others involved in the logistics of the racket.

Case has been registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, forgery, and electronic fraud, along with violations of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021.

Timeline of events:

• 1995–1998 Dr. Namratha begins medical practice; launches fertility services as Universal Srushti in 1998
• 2024 Rajasthani couple engages IVF/surrogacy with Secunderabad branch
• June 2025: Child received; independent DNA test reveals mismatch
• July 2025: Police raids; arrests; evidence seized across clinics