Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate arrested the owner of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre, Dr Namrata, in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities and illegal surrogacy practices.
Investigators took Dr Namrata and her son Jayanth Krishna into custody with police assistance after identifying prima facie evidence of financial misconduct. Officials suspect that Universal Srushti Fertility Centre collected large sums from childless couples through illegal channels, including hawala transactions.
Police also expanded the probe to examine whether the accused used surrogacy as a cover for child trafficking. Officers alleged that the network procured infants from tribal families and projected them as babies born through legitimate surrogacy procedures.
Universal Srushti Fertility Centre probe widens
Police said Universal Srushti Fertility Centre had faced several complaints earlier. In previous cases, staff allegedly persuaded couples seeking IVF treatment to opt for surrogacy and charged hefty amounts. Moreover, investigators suspect that certain ANMs in Andhra Pradesh assisted the alleged network.
Authorities arrested Dr Namrata in July 2025 after fresh findings surfaced in the ongoing investigation. Officials stated that in some instances no surrogacy procedure took place. However, the centre allegedly misled couples and collected substantial fees.
Investigators had earlier arrested other doctors who studied with the main accused at Andhra Medical College in 1988. Although the prime suspect secured bail in earlier cases, officials took her back into custody as the financial probe deepened.
Considering the gravity of the alleged surrogacy scam and trafficking cases linked to Universal Srushti Fertility Centre, authorities had earlier transferred the case to a Special Investigation Team at the Crime Branch. Records show that Dr Namrata faces 15 criminal cases across Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur for cheating, surrogacy fraud and child trafficking. Some of these cases remain under trial.
Officials are now tracing the money trail and identifying others involved in the alleged racket.