Telangana’s Surrogacy Scam: Uncovering the Illegal Baby Trade

Speedy Summary

• Incident Overview: A baby-selling racket disguised as a fertility service has been uncovered at Universal Srushti Fertility Center in Secunderabad, Telangana. At least 15 couples were allegedly deceived into paying ₹20-₹30 lakh each for surrogacy using falsified documents and unrelated newborns.

• Case details: Sonam Singh and Akshay from Rajasthan approached the clinic for IVF but were persuaded into a surrogacy plan costing ₹30 lakh. They later discovered their handed baby was not biologically theirs through DNA testing.

• Criminal Charges: The clinic owner Pachipala Namratha, 64, faces charges under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023, and Surrogacy (regulation) Act, 2021.Agents involved in sourcing vulnerable women for surrogacy have also been arrested.

• unethical Practices Exposed:

– Vulnerable women seeking abortions were coerced into continuing pregnancies for monetary compensation.
– Babies from surrogate mothers were given to unrelated couples under false claims of biological parenthood.
– Surrogates endured hardships; some abandoned post-delivery or mistreated.
– In one case, a surrogate died fleeing sexual assault by middlemen.

• Illegal Sperm/Egg Collection Unit Raided: Police found unregistered facilities operating near the fertility centre with donors brought from different states and paid minimal amounts per sample.

• Previous Offences and Regulatory Failures: The clinic’s owner had been implicated in similar scandals earlier; her license was suspended but operations resumed after its expiration despite ongoing court cases against her.

Indian Opinion Analysis

This case highlights grave lapses in oversight within India’s assisted reproductive treatment industry despite stringent laws like the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. The unethical practices revealed-baby-selling,exploitation of vulnerable women,illegal medical facilities-underscore both systemic failures in enforcement and individual malpractice. While these laws aim to protect intended parents’ rights while banning exploitative commercial surrogacy practices entirely in favor of altruism-driven arrangements, this incident demonstrates how weak compliance mechanisms enable criminal networks to persist undetected or restart operations after earlier suspensions.The broader impact on public trust towards legitimate fertility services could be critically important unless stricter punishments are enforced uniformly across the sector alongside mandatory adoption of safeguards like RI Witness systems at all centers-not just elite institutions-to prevent such devastating frauds or mix-ups again across smaller setups lesser recognitions duplicate weaker protocols.effects tarnish sector overall Judiciary tightening clarifies accountability every aspect Read more further details here:…..