In Hyderabad, a chilling case of deception and exploitation has come to light involving fake surrogacy, stolen newborns, and ₹35 lakh fraud. What appeared to be a standard IVF surrogacy arrangement turned out to be a well-organized baby-selling racket run from a fertility clinic in Secunderabad. The truth surfaced only after a DNA test at a forensic centre revealed a shocking reality: the baby had no genetic connection with the supposed parents.

This stunning revelation exposed how innocent hopeful parents were trapped in an elaborate fraud. The couple, who had approached the clinic in 2024 for surrogacy treatment, were promised a biological child. The clinic had outlined a precise plan, advising the couple to opt for surrogacy and assuring them that the baby would be their own. In return, the couple paid ₹35 lakh believing the process was legitimate.

But the truth was horrifying. According to Hyderabad Police, the baby was not conceived through IVF but was brought from a poor family and handed over to the couple. On Sunday, July 27, police arrested eight individuals, including the main accused Dr. Athaluri Namratha (64) of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre, and Dr. Nargula Sadanandam (41), an anesthetist from Gandhi Hospital. Other accused included agents and technicians who were part of the network.

Police booked all of them under charges of fraud and human trafficking. Investigations revealed that the clinic's license had been cancelled in 2021, yet Dr. Namratha continued operations illegally. Even more troubling, she was operating three additional centres in Kondapur (Hyderabad), Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam, all of which were raided simultaneously.

This was not Dr. Namratha’s first encounter with the law. In 2016, her license was suspended for five years by the Telangana Medical Council after an NRI couple from the US complained that the baby handed to them was not biologically theirs. Again, in 2020, Vizag police arrested Dr. Namratha and five others for allegedly trafficking newborns. Police now say that more than 10 cases had been registered earlier against her and the clinic across Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, and Guntur.

DNA Test and ₹90,000 Deal Blow Open the Scam

The current case began to unravel on July 26, when a couple from the city approached Gopalapuram police, claiming that the baby given to them by Srushti Test Tube Baby Centre was not genetically linked to the father. They had completed what they believed was a proper commercial surrogacy arrangement and paid ₹35 lakh to the clinic.

However, following police interrogation, it was revealed that no surrogacy treatment had been done. Instead, Dr. Namratha and her staff were running an illegal racket—buying infants from poor women and selling them to desperate couples under the guise of IVF.

The baby’s biological parents, Mohammed Ali Adik (38) and Nasreen Begum (25) from Hyderabad, were also arrested. They were paid ₹90,000, and the mother was taken to Visakhapatnam for delivery.

The baby boy, only two days old, was then handed over to the couple under the false assurance that he was their biological child. Among those arrested were Dr. Namratha’s son, P. Jayanth Krishna (25), a practising advocate who handled the clinic's finances, two employees – C. Kalyani Atchayyamma (40) and G. Chenna Rao (37), and an agent, Dhanasri Santoshi (38)_.

This case is now under full legal scrutiny and has raised serious questions about regulatory gaps in India’s fertility industry. The Hyderabad police continue their investigation into the full extent of the network and the number of babies trafficked through this horrifying scam.

From IVF Promise to Jail: Full Timeline of Hyderabad's Fake Surrogacy Scam

The Hyderabad police have begun tightening their grip on the suspects involved in the fake surrogacy and baby-selling racket exposed at the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre. Seven of the accused have been sent to Chanchalguda jail under 14-day judicial remand, while another key staff member, C Kalyani from the Visakhapatnam branch, is being brought to Hyderabad for further questioning.

This case not only involves fraudulent medical practices but also a clear violation of the Indian Surrogacy (Regulation) Act. As per DCP’s statement, the accused weren’t just selling babies—they were involved in commercial surrogacy, which is prohibited in India. Only altruistic surrogacy is legally permitted.

The complainants, a hopeful couple from Rajasthan, first reached out to the clinic in August 2024 seeking IVF consultation. Senior police officials stated that during the visit, Dr. Namratha conducted fertility tests and recommended surrogacy. The couple was told to proceed to the clinic’s Visakhapatnam branch, where they were promised a surrogate mother would be arranged and their embryo would be implanted.

Over the next nine months, the couple followed every instruction, making multiple payments toward consultation fees, treatment expenses, and care for the surrogate mother. At every step, the clinic kept assuring them that everything was on track and the pregnancy was progressing smoothly.

In June 2025, the couple was informed that a baby boy had been delivered through C-section in Visakhapatnam. But before receiving the newborn, they were told to pay an extra ₹2 lakh as a delivery fee. Shockingly, the clinic claimed that the biological father of the baby was demanding more money.

Upon reaching Vizag, the couple was handed the baby along with forged documents and a fake birth certificate, showing them as the baby’s biological parents. However, when they asked for a DNA report, the clinic claimed it had already been done, though it hadn’t.

Still worried, the couple went to a forensic lab in Vasant Kunj, Delhi, and had DNA tests conducted for all three—the father, the mother, and the child. The results shattered their belief: there was no biological relationship between them and the child.

When the couple questioned the clinic, Dr. Namratha blocked their contact and later threatened them. She refused to hand over any documents, pushing the couple to file an official complaint. “Dr Namratha, with clear intent to deceive, did not allow the couple to meet the surrogate mother, whom they believed to be the biological parent,” said the DCP.

Following the complaint, a joint team of police and health department officials raided the Gopalapuram branch of the fertility centre. What they found left no doubt about the illegal nature of the clinic’s operations. Authorities discovered unlicensed medical equipment, live embryos, and proof of unauthorized IVF and medical procedures.

Now, the police are planning to interrogate the accused further under custody to trace how the women were recruited and how widespread the racket was. This might unveil even more victims of the syndicate.

Meanwhile, the State Human Rights Commission has also taken serious note of this case. It has taken suo motu cognizance of reports published in the media regarding illegal and unethical surrogacy practices at Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad and its linked clinics in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam.

The entire incident has raised urgent questions about the monitoring of fertility clinics, enforcement of medical laws, and how easily poor women can be exploited in the name of parenthood and IVF.