The recent IVF scam uncovered in Gurugram has once again brought national attention to one of India’s largest interstate surrogacy-linked child trafficking rackets, exposed in Telangana in 2025. Nearly a year after the operation, two infants rescued during the investigation are still waiting to be adopted into permanent families. Both children are currently being cared for at Sishu Vihar under the supervision of the state’s Women and Child Welfare Department.
Welfare Infrastructure Placements and Structural Adoption Backlogs
According to the investigation, several childless couples were allegedly deceived in the name of surrogacy and handed newborn babies who were not biologically related to them. The alleged fraud came to light after some of the couples conducted DNA tests, which confirmed that the children were not their biological offspring.
In July last year, police raided the Hyderabad-based Srishti Fertility Centre. Investigators alleged that the clinic’s owner, Dr. Athaluri Namratha, along with her associates, collected between ₹30 lakh and ₹40 lakh from childless couples and falsely presented unrelated newborns as their biological children under the guise of surrogacy.
According to Shruti Ojha, Director of the Women and Child Welfare Department, three babies were born as part of the alleged racket. One infant died shortly after birth, while the other two were rescued safely. She said one child has already been declared eligible for adoption and listed accordingly, while legal approval is still awaited to declare the second child legally free for adoption.
Ojha explained that the adoption process may take anywhere from three months to one year, depending on the completion of legal formalities, including verification of prospective adoptive parents, counselling sessions, home studies, and documentation. The adoption process follows a first-come, first-served system.
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Fabricated Medical Portfolios and Simulated Gestation Logging
Police investigators alleged that Dr. Namratha primarily targeted couples who had undergone multiple unsuccessful fertility treatments. They were reportedly promised a 90% success rate through surrogacy. Investigators said couples were asked to provide sperm and eggs to create the impression of a legitimate surrogacy procedure. They were then allegedly informed that embryos had been successfully implanted in surrogate mothers and were provided with fabricated pregnancy updates, radiology reports, and other medical records.
According to the investigation, members of the alleged racket used agents to identify women with unwanted pregnancies, particularly those from economically vulnerable backgrounds. After the babies were born, they were allegedly handed over to waiting couples and falsely represented as children born through legitimate surrogacy arrangements.
Serological Discrepancy Audits and Genetic Profiling Triggers
The alleged fraud began to unravel when a couple from Rajasthan became suspicious because the child did not physically resemble them. DNA testing later confirmed that the baby was not biologically related to them. In another case, a woman who is a biologist questioned how the child’s blood group could be B+ when both parents had O+ blood, prompting further investigation.
During the inquiry, six additional couples approached investigators, alleging that they had also enrolled with the same fertility clinic for what they believed was a legitimate surrogacy programme and had paid advance amounts exceeding ₹10 lakh.
Asset Tracing Enforcements and Central Money Trail Scrutinies
So far, 25 accused have been arrested in the case and remain in judicial custody. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting a separate investigation into the alleged financial irregularities and money trail linked to the racket. The case has raised serious concerns about the regulation of surrogacy services, oversight of fertility clinics, and safeguards designed to protect newborn children in India.
