Hyderabad police bust illegal surrogacy and human egg trading racket, eight arrested

Hyderabad police have arrested eight people, including a mother-son duo, for running an illegal surrogacy and human egg trading racket linked to multiple fertility centres. ₹6.4 lakh in cash, donor records, and medical supplies were seized during the operation

Hyderabad: In a major crackdown, the Pet Basheerabad police have busted an organised network engaged in commercial surrogacy and illegal human egg trading, and arrested eight persons, including seven women and one man, here on Friday.

The suspects were allegedly operating in collusion with several fertility centres in Hyderabad, exploiting the desperation of childless couples for unlawful monetary gain.

According to the police, the racket was spearheaded by N Laxmi Reddy alias Laxmi (45), a resident of Chintal in Quthbullapur, who had previously worked as an egg donor and surrogate mother. Using her prior experience and a network of contacts within fertility clinics, she began recruiting financially vulnerable women to donate eggs or become surrogate mothers.

“She then referred them to certain fertility centres and collected huge amounts for each successful procedure,” said N Koti Reddy, DCP, Medchal.

Police said that Laxmi’s son, N Narender Reddy (27), a Chemical Engineering graduate from JNTU, assisted in running the illegal operation, which served as their sole source of income.

“The duo would house the surrogate mothers and egg donors at their residence and collect additional maintenance charges from the hospitals involved,” the DCP said.

The officials have also detained six donors and surrogate mothers from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

Preliminary investigation revealed that all the donors and surrogates were aware of the illegality of commercial surrogacy but agreed to participate in exchange for financial benefits.

The fertility clinics whose names have surfaced during the probe include Hegde Fertility Hospital in Madhapur, Anu Test Tube Centre in Somajiguda, Ferty Care in Banjara Hills, EVA IVF, Amulya IVF Centre and Sree Fertility Centre in Kondapur.

Officials, however, said the involvement of these centres in the racket is yet to be formally verified. After which, necessary action as per law will be taken against them.

Police also confirmed that Laxmi Reddy had a prior criminal record, having been booked in 2024 by the Mumbai CID for human trafficking and under the Juvenile Justice Act.

The Pet Basheerabad police have booked a case under sections of the Surrogacy Regulation Act, Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, and the BNS Act.

The suspects were produced before court and remanded in judicial custody.

Rs 6.4 lakh in cash, laptops, promissory notes, and non-judicial bond papers, syringes, pregnancy medicines, hormone injections, mobile phones and case sheets of donors from Hegde Hospital were seized.