Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav questioned why departmental action had been delayed despite media reports as early as 9 July about their arrests.
Published Sep 08, 2025 | 9:23 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 08, 2025 | 9:23 PM
Dr Athaluri Namratha ran Universal Srushti Fertility Centre without a registration since 2016.
Synopsis: The Andhra Pradesh government has suspended three doctors from government-run hospitals in the state, months after their arrests in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Srushti Fertility Centre fraud case. Their suspensions, effective from the date of arrest, are the latest development in the case, which has so far seen 25 people arrested across multiple states.
Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has ordered the suspension of three doctors attached to government medical colleges in the state, months after their arrests in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Srushti Fertility Centre fraud case.
The suspended doctors are Dr Vasupalli Ravi, Head of the Department of Anaesthesia at Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam; Dr P Ushadevi, Associate Professor in Gynaecology at the same college; and Dr A Vidyullatha, Assistant Professor in Paediatrics at Srikakulam Government Medical College.
Hyderabad police officially announced their arrests on 28 July. All three have been booked under multiple provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Juvenile Justice Act. Their suspensions are effective from the date of arrest.
The minister also questioned why departmental action had been delayed despite media reports as early as 9 July about their arrests.
Citing the seriousness of the charges, Yadav said, “Continuing them in service would not only undermine public trust but could also hamper the ongoing investigation.”
Officials said Hyderabad police formally conveyed the exact arrest dates and judicial custody details only on 28 July.
They added that the three doctors had not been attending duties even before the scandal came to light, and that subsequent attempts by their principals to contact them had failed.
The suspensions are the latest development in the investigation into Universal Srushti Fertility and Research Centre, run by Dr Athaluri Namratha, who was arrested on 26 July.
What began as complaints of IVF fraud has since expanded into a complex case of child trafficking, surrogacy fraud and baby selling, now overseen by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Hyderabad.
So far, 25 people including doctors, clinic staff, agents and three parents have been arrested. The alleged racket is believed to span multiple states and involve an interstate network of fertility agents.
Victims allege they were charged anywhere from ₹12.5 lakh to ₹44 lakh for IVF or surrogacy treatments. Several have complained that the babies they received had no genetic link to them, while others have alleged that they were falsely told their babies had died during birth.
In one case, a Hyderabad couple who paid ₹16.5 lakh discovered through DNA testing that the baby handed to them was unrelated. In other instances, police found that infants from poor families were allegedly purchased and passed off as surrogacy births, supported by forged DNA and medical reports.
Furthermore, Dr Namratha allegedly ran her centres using the medical registrations of other doctors. A 90-year-old retired gynaecologist from Secunderabad recently lodged a complaint after discovering her name had been misused on the clinic’s letterheads without her knowledge.
Police say such impersonation and document forgery were systematic, designed to give the clinics legitimacy while bypassing the legal requirements of the surrogacy law.
The SIT has seized 50 patient files, frozen multiple bank accounts, and is combing through financial and medical records. A government-appointed committee is also inspecting private fertility clinics across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to check compliance with regulatory laws.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
