Fake IVF, Real Babies: Hyderabad Clinic's Rs 35 Lakh-a-Baby Surrogacy Scam Busted

A Hyderabad couple paid Rs 35 lakh for surrogacy at Universal Srushti Fertility Centre, but received a trafficked baby. A DNA test revealed no biological link, exposing a scam orchestrated by Dr. Namratha.

When a hopeful couple from Hyderabad received a call in June saying, “Your baby is here,” their hearts swelled with joy. After months of waiting and nearly Rs 35 lakh spent on a promised surrogacy journey, they believed their dreams had finally come true.

But the joy was short-lived.

The child handed over to them wasn’t biologically theirs. In fact, as a DNA test would later prove, the baby wasn’t born through any surrogacy procedure at all — he had been bought from a poor family in Assam and passed off as the couple’s own.

A Dream Turns into a Nightmare

Back in August 2024, the couple had approached a well-known name in the fertility world — Dr Athaluri Namratha, founder of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre. She assured them that surrogacy was their best chance at parenthood and that the baby would be genetically theirs.

With hope in their eyes and trust in the system, they paid up — consultation fees, treatment costs, surrogate care, and even a “final delivery charge” of Rs 2 lakh. They were told the delivery would happen in Visakhapatnam, and were later handed a baby boy.

What they weren’t told? The child was never theirs to begin with.

DNA Test That Changed Everything

The couple’s doubts began to grow when the clinic avoided handing over DNA proof. So, they quietly did the test themselves. The results were crushing: neither parent shared a single gene with the child.

When they confronted the clinic, the response was chilling — their calls were blocked, and veiled threats followed.

Realising the depth of the fraud, they approached the Gopalapuram police. What followed was an investigation that exposed one of the most disturbing child trafficking rackets the city has seen in recent years.

The Mastermind Behind the Scam

At the centre of it all was Dr Namratha, a 64-year-old who had once built a name for herself as a fertility expert. But behind the name and white coat was a long trail of illegal activity.

Her clinic’s license had been cancelled in 2021, but she continued to run centres in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam. According to police, she wasn't helping couples — she was running a baby-selling business.

In 2020, she had already been arrested in a similar case. But this time, the scale and deception were far greater.

A Child Sold for Rs 90,000

The baby was not born via IVF or surrogacy. He was handed over by Mohammed Ali Adik and Nasreen Begum, a couple from Assam, who reportedly sold the child for Rs 90,000. They are now among the eight people arrested in this case.

The others include Dr Namratha’s son (also an advocate), a doctor from Gandhi Hospital, clinic staff, and agents. All were part of a network that preyed on vulnerable couples and desperate families.

Operating in Plain Sight

During Sunday’s raid, health officials were stunned to find that the clinic was still conducting procedures without licenses, including sex determination and anaesthesia administration — all hidden behind what looked like a residential apartment.

Dr J Venkati, District Medical Health Officer, said they had raided the clinic earlier, but it would always appear “shut” on the surface. Patients, it turns out, were being brought in discreetly through backdoors.

'This Was Not Surrogacy — This Was Child Trafficking'

“This is not a surrogacy case. This is a case of child trafficking,” said DCP Rashmi Perumal. “They tricked the couple with false hopes and sold them a baby under the illusion of parenthood. We believe there are many more victims.”

Authorities are now looking into records from all three branches of the clinic to identify other possible cases.

A Broken System, Shattered Trust

India outlawed commercial surrogacy in 2021. Only altruistic surrogacy — where a surrogate receives no money except for medical care — is legal. But in the shadows of this rulebook, rackets like this continue to flourish.

For the Hyderabad couple, what should have been the happiest chapter of their lives has turned into a legal and emotional ordeal.