Hyderabad, 12 Aug 2025: In a major crackdown, the North Zone Police of Hyderabad have busted a sprawling illegal surrogacy and child trafficking racket operating across six states, arresting 25 individuals, including doctors, clinic staff, agents, and birth parents.
The Gopalapuram Police revealed that the network was being run under the guise of Universal Srushti Fertility Centres, owned by Dr Athaluri Namratha, who already faces 15 similar cases between 2010 and 2023, many still pending trial.
The investigation began on 27 July 2025 after a couple was duped in a fake surrogacy case. As the probe deepened, it expanded into eight more FIRs, exposing large-scale cheating, DNA mismatches, and the procurement of babies from vulnerable mothers.
𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 & 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲.
Gopalapuram Police, with support from the Medical & Health Dept., busted a major illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket operated by Dr. Athaluri… pic.twitter.com/TFSW3BEK80
— Hyderabad City Police (@hydcitypolice) July 27, 2025
Victims reportedly paid between Rs 11 lakh and Rs 40 lakh per case, while agents were paid Rs 3.5 lakh for girls and Rs 4.5 lakh for boys. The racket spanned Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal, falsely presenting commercial surrogacy as legal despite it being banned under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021.
#WATCH | Hyderabad | On Gopalapuram Police busting fake surrogacy and child trafficking racket, DCp North Zone, Hyderabad City, S. Rashmi Perumal says, " In Universal Srushti Fertility Centre scam case, Gopalapuram Police has registered a total of 9 FIRs till now. The main… pic.twitter.com/RyeXxlV2UM
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2025
The operation was led by North Zone Police team, with the case now being handed over to the CCS Special Investigation Team (SIT) for further probe.
