‘Srushti’ surrogacy racket: Attaluri Namratha, son Jayanth, sent to five-day police custody

Hyderabad: A local court has sent Attaluri Namratha, her son SS Jayanth, and others to five-day police custody for running an alleged illegal surrogacy racket and cheating a couple from Rajasthan.

The police will take custody of the accused from Chanchalguda prison on Friday and move them to Gopalapuram police station for intensive questioning, to be overseen by senior officials.

False promises, fraudulent procedure

According to the remand report filed by Gopalapuram police, the case centers on Namratha’s Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad. The victims, a couple from Rajasthan who had been living in Hyderabad since 2024, approached the centre seeking to have a child through surrogacy.

The clinic promised to use the couple’s sperm and eggs and assured them that the baby would be biologically theirs. They were charged over Rs 30 lakh for the entire process, including the arrangement of a surrogate and post-delivery procedures. The woman carrying the pregnancy was later moved to Visakhapatnam, where she delivered a baby boy.

DNA mismatch uncovered

Soon after taking the baby home to Rajasthan, the couple noticed health complications in the child and began suspecting foul play. When they requested a DNA test, Namratha initially agreed but never followed through. Suspicions deepened, prompting the couple to independently conduct a DNA test at a forensic lab in Delhi.

The results confirmed their fears—the baby was not biologically related to the father. When they sent the report to Namratha’s WhatsApp seeking clarification, she blocked their numbers and stopped responding.

Clinic visit leads to confession, threats

On June 23, 2025, the couple returned to the fertility center in Secunderabad to confront Namratha. During the meeting, she reportedly admitted to having handed over the wrong baby through a fabricated IVF process. Police said Namratha “deliberately cheated the couple” and collected large sums under false pretences.

Her son, SS Jayanth, allegedly played an active role in threatening the couple during the confrontation and was also involved in intimidating other clients who had raised concerns. According to the police, Jayanth functioned as an enforcer, silencing victims through fear.

Trail of cases across two States

The investigation has revealed that Namratha is a habitual offender. Between 2020 and 2023, five cases were registered against her at the Gopalapuram police station. Additional cases are pending in Visakhapatnam and Guntur.

She has been booked under Section 363 (Kidnapping), Section 370 (Human trafficking), Section 468 (Forgery for cheating), and Section 471 (Using forged documents as genuine).

In two separate cases filed at Maharanipeta police station in Visakhapatnam, she has also been charged under Sections 81 and 87 of the Juvenile Justice Act, which deal with the illegal sale and purchase of children. These charges point to Namratha’s possible long-term involvement in an illegal child adoption network.

Wider network under scanner

With multiple criminal cases and an apparent pattern of deception emerging, the police are now exploring the possibility of a larger network involved in surrogacy-related fraud and child trafficking. The five-day custody is expected to provide crucial leads, especially on the role of other staff members and whether more victims remain unidentified, the police added.