Hyderabad, India – July 28, 2025: What began as a hopeful journey toward parenthood for a couple from Hyderabad has ended in betrayal, heartbreak, and the shocking uncovering of a baby trafficking racket that operated under the guise of surrogacy. In June, the couple received a call that changed everything: “Your baby is here.” After investing nearly Rs 35 lakh in a promised surrogacy process and months of emotional anticipation, they were led to believe their dream of becoming biological parents had come true.
But that joy was short-lived—and horrifyingly misplaced.
DNA Test Unravels the Lie
The baby boy handed over to them was not their biological child. In fact, as they would soon learn through a quiet DNA test, the baby wasn’t born through surrogacy at all. Instead, he had been purchased for Rs 90,000 from a poor family in Assam and fraudulently passed off as theirs by a fertility clinic with a dark past.
As their doubts grew, the couple asked for DNA confirmation, which the clinic continuously evaded. Suspicious and uneasy, they took matters into their own hands—and the results were devastating. Not a single gene matched.
When they confronted the clinic, instead of apologies or explanations, they were met with blocked calls, silence, and veiled threats.
A Fertility Clinic or a Front for Trafficking?
The couple had initially approached Dr Athaluri Namratha, a well-known fertility specialist and the founder of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre, in August 2024. Promising them a successful surrogacy journey, she convinced them that this was their best and only chance to have a biological child.
They paid for everything: consultation fees, IVF treatment, surrogate care, and even a suspicious “final delivery charge” of Rs 2 lakh. The clinic claimed the delivery would take place in Visakhapatnam, where they were later handed a newborn boy.
The truth? No surrogacy took place. The baby wasn’t theirs.
Police Crackdown and Shocking Revelations
The couple reported the fraud to Gopalapuram police, setting off an investigation that has now revealed one of the most brazen child trafficking rackets in recent years.
At the heart of it: Dr Namratha, a 64-year-old fertility expert with a troubling history. Her clinic’s license was cancelled in 2021, yet she continued to operate illegally in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam. She had previously been arrested in 2020 in a similar case.
This time, the operation was even more complex—and far more deceptive.
So far, eight people have been arrested, including:
- Dr Namratha herself
- Her son, a practicing advocate
- A doctor from Gandhi Hospital
- Multiple clinic staff and agents
- Mohammed Ali Adik and Nasreen Begum — the couple from Assam who sold the baby
Together, they formed a criminal network that preyed on vulnerable couples longing for children and impoverished families desperate for money.
Operating Behind Closed Doors
During Sunday’s raid, health officials discovered the clinic was still secretly conducting illegal procedures, including:
- Unlicensed surgeries
- Sex determination tests
- Anaesthesia administration without proper approvals
The clinic operated behind the facade of a regular residential apartment. Patients were ushered in through back doors, and surface inspections often found the premises “shut,” concealing the illicit activities inside.
“This Was Not Surrogacy. This Was Trafficking.”
DCP Rashmi Perumal, leading the investigation, stated clearly: “This was not a case of surrogacy. This was a case of child trafficking.” Authorities believe many more victims may be involved, and are now combing through records from all three branches of the clinic.
“We urge couples who were associated with this clinic to come forward. This network may have tricked multiple families,” she added.
A Broken Law, A Broken System
Since 2021, commercial surrogacy has been banned in India, with only altruistic surrogacy permitted. This means surrogates can only receive compensation for medical expenses—not profit. But this case has exposed how the system continues to be exploited by rogue players operating in legal grey zones and regulatory blind spots.
A Family’s Trust, Shattered
For the Hyderabad couple at the center of this tragedy, the emotional toll is immeasurable. What should have been the most joyous moment of their lives—holding their long-awaited baby for the first time—was instead a cruel deception.
They are now locked in a legal and emotional battle, not just for justice, but for healing.
Call for Accountability
This case raises disturbing questions:
- How many more couples have been duped under the guise of surrogacy?
- How many more children have been bought and sold in plain sight?
- And how did such a racket continue despite legal bans and previous arrests?
As investigations continue and arrests pile up, one thing is clear: India’s surrogacy system needs urgent reform, tighter enforcement, and compassionate accountability.
