‘Srushti’ surrogacy racket: Police widen probe, arrest three in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Police have widened the investigation into the surrogacy racket linked to Universal Srushti Fertility Centre.

Gopalapuram police arrested three more people on Tuesday.

With these fresh arrests, the total number of accused taken into custody has risen to 17 across six registered cases.

Officials also confirmed that a separate case of impersonation will be filed, after it emerged that some of the accused used medical certificates belonging to qualified doctors to carry out illegal procedures.

Arrests at RGIA Airport spark wider crackdown

The latest breakthrough follows the arrest of three suspects at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) on Monday. The Intelligence wing had tipped off the police about their movements, triggering a two-day operation targeting both agents and medical personnel associated with the fertility racket.

Among those arrested are individuals linked to government hospitals, including staff from Visakhapatnam Government Hospital.

Visakhapatnam doctor aided prime accused

Dr. Vidyulatha, a medical practitioner from Visakhapatnam, is among the arrested. She is alleged to be a close associate of Kalyani, one of the primary accused in the case. Investigators said Kalyani had misled couples into opting for surrogacy even when they were medically fit for natural conception.

Vidyulatha is accused of helping Kalyani draft fake doctor’s notes and facilitating the surrogacy procedures under false pretenses. Police also revealed that she collaborated with another key accused, Dr. Namratha, while running her clinic in Visakhapatnam.

Namratha accused of cheating 80 couples

Dr. Namratha, currently in five-day police custody, has reportedly been difficult to interrogate, but investigators believe she played a central role in the racket. According to initial findings, she allegedly cheated around 80 couples by falsely claiming that their surrogacy procedures had failed.

In a shocking revelation, Namratha is also accused of using the medical license of a 94-year-old doctor without his knowledge to perform unauthorized procedures. Police suspect that certificates from other doctors may have also been misused. A fresh FIR under impersonation is being prepared.

More arrests likely as probe deepens

The custody of Kalyani and another accused, Santoshi, is ongoing. On Tuesday, Namratha was sent to Chanchalguda Women’s Jail after a medical check-up at Gandhi Hospital.

Police are expected to seek an extension of her custody to further unravel the full scope of the illegal network. They also urged more victims to come forward and indicated that additional charges could be framed as more evidence is gathered.