Officials confirmed that Dr Namratha had not been registered with the Telangana State Medical Council since 2016, with her request for renewal in 2021 being denied due to a pending case involving alleged surrogacy fraud and patient complaints.
Published Jul 29, 2025 | 12:02 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 29, 2025 | 12:02 PM
Dr Athaluri Namratha ran Universal Srushti Fertility Centre without a registration since 2016.
Synopsis: Dr Athaluri Namratha, the key accused in a major illegal surrogacy and trafficking racket, had been operating fertility centres across multiple states despite being denied medical registration in Telangana since 2016.
The revelations surrounding Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in the Telangana capital Hyderabad have taken a more disturbing turn. Investigations reveal that Dr Athaluri Namratha, the key accused in the major illegal surrogacy and trafficking racket, had been operating fertility centres across multiple states despite being denied medical registration in Telangana since 2016.
Despite being denied registration in Telangana since 2016 over allegations of unethical practices, Dr Namratha continued to operate fertility centres in multiple states, including Andhra Pradesh, where she maintained medical registration.
Officials confirmed that Dr Namratha had not been registered with the Telangana State Medical Council since 2016, with her request for renewal in 2021 being denied due to a pending case involving alleged surrogacy fraud and patient complaints.
“Since 2016, she has not held a valid registration in Telangana,” Dr G Srinivas, Vice Chairperson of the Telangana Medical Council, told South First. “Her renewal was rejected in 2021 because a case was pending in court involving serious violations, including the use of unrelated babies presented as surrogacy births, which were later disproven by DNA testing.”
However, despite her suspension in Telangana, Dr Namratha continued to operate facilities in Andhra Pradesh, including the Universal Health Centres in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, raising questions about the lack of inter-state data sharing and regulatory enforcement.
Despite the clinic’s branding as Srushti Test Tube Baby Centre, officials in Andhra Pradesh have clarified that no such facility is registered under that name in Vijayawada or the broader NTR Vijaywada district.
Dr Suhasini, District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) for NTR Vijaywada district, told South First that the recognised fertility facility in the district is Universal Health Care, however, “registered under the name of Dr Namratha Pachipala.”
“In the entire NTR district, there is one registered surrogacy or ART facility — Universal Health Care — and it is not connected to anything named ‘Srushti’,” said Dr Suhasini. “There may be other centres operating, but under the official ART and Surrogacy Act registry, only this one clinic has been approved.”
Dr Suhasini also clarified that Universal Health Care underwent a fresh inspection and was found to have “no irregularities”.
“All the necessary documentation was in place. No complaints have been received from this clinic in the district,” she said, adding that the centre was functioning with ‘licensed doctors’, designated staff, and valid documentation.
A certificate issued by the district’s Appropriate Authority under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, confirms this registration for Universal Health Care — under the name of Dr Namratha Pachipala — located at Kanchukota Vari Street, Near Benz Circle, Vijayawada, NTR District, valid from 16 November 2024 to 15 November 2027.
On Monday, the DMHO inspected the Universal Health Care Centre in Vijayawada. “The centre was found closed with no staff present,” she told the Minister’s office.
“The fact that the centre was shut down during a scheduled inspection raises further doubts. We will examine this thoroughly,” Andhra Pradesh Health Minister’s office said in a statement on Monday.
According to Dr Srinivas, Dr Namratha has not been a registered medical practitioner in Telangana since 2016.
“She last registered with the Telangana Medical Council in 2016. After that, she did not renew her registration,” he explained. “She was suspended in 2016, and when she came again for renewal in 2021, the council denied her registration because a criminal case against her was still pending in court.”
Dr Srinivas further revealed that the suspension followed a serious incident involving a foreign couple. “She had cheated a US-based couple — in fact, both couples in that case — by giving them the false belief that the baby born was theirs. However, when a DNA test was conducted, it was found that the child had no biological relation to the intended parents,” he explained.
The case was reported to the council, and based on its findings, Namratha was suspended for five years. “After the five-year suspension period ended, she again applied for renewal. But since the court case was still pending, the registrar denied her request,” Dr Srinivas added.
“So, since 2016, she has not been registered as a medical practitioner anywhere in Telangana,” he said.
The 26 July 2025 raid at the clinic’s Hyderabad branch revealed the shocking extent of the illegal operations. “During the search and seizure operation, we found a full-fledged surgical suite, complete with an operating table, anaesthesia machine, and stainless-steel instrument trolleys,” said a senior health department official part of the multi-agency task force led by the DCP, North Zone.
“This indicates that the facility was equipped to conduct invasive procedures such as C-sections and egg retrievals—procedures that should only take place in a licensed and regulated medical environment.”
Photographs taken during the raid show what appears to be a high-end IVF and embryology laboratory. One image features an Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) workstation, identifiable by its inverted microscope mounted on an anti-vibration table. This sensitive setup is used to inject individual sperm cells into eggs, a process central to modern assisted reproduction.
“The presence of two laminar airflow cabinets confirms that this was a functioning IVF lab,” the official noted. “Such equipment is used to handle gametes and embryos under sterile conditions — and operating it without ART registration is a serious violation.”
Also found was a cryopreservation setup with large liquid nitrogen storage tanks and centrifuges, likely used for sperm processing and long-term storage.
Another image depicts an embryo incubator or culture chamber — equipment that precisely controls temperature and carbon dioxide levels to support early embryo development. “Alongside that was an ultrasound machine—unregistered, and therefore illegal,” the official confirmed.
According to the DMHO, the raid uncovered extensive violations. “The Clinical Establishment Act registration had expired. The clinic was using unregistered ultrasound machines, operating an unlicensed pharmacy, and conducting surgical procedures with recently documented oocyte retrievals,” the DMHO stated in a public notice.
What raised further alarm was the clinic’s failure to register under the National and State ART & Surrogacy Registry—a legal requirement under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.
“They were found to be functioning without any registration, despite multiple closure orders in the past,” said the official, adding that the clinic was using the names of certified doctors without their knowledge or consent.
“The seized items — surgical tools, IVF equipment, unlicensed medicines, surrogacy documents, and patient case files — have all been handed over to the police,” confirmed a senior official.
“A criminal case has been registered under multiple sections, including violations of the ART Act, human trafficking, illegal baby selling under the guise of surrogacy, and forgery.”
The Hyderabad DMHO, Dr J Venkati, confirmed that a facility run by the accused had already been sealed. “We have seized her Gopalapuram centre,” said Dr Venkati. “We have also identified that the doctor has been operating similar centres in Kukatpally, Visakhapatnam, and other locations across both Telugu-speaking states.”
Officials said that Dr Namratha has at least ten police cases registered against her in various stations, including Maharanipeta and II Town in Visakhapatnam, Kothapeta in Guntur, and Gopalapuram in Hyderabad.
Two of the accused — A7 and A8 — have not been arrested yet, and police are not revealing their names. When asked about this, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rashmi Perumal told South First, “We’ll let the media know when they are arrested.”
Regarding news circulating about the centre collecting ₹800–₹900 from patients, she replied, “That’s unconnected to this specific case.”
On the question of whether anyone else has come forward with complaints about this centre, her response was pointed. “Will they come forward when the media is constantly putting everything out there? We’ve been requesting media not to reveal victims’ identities since the case broke. But they’re putting it all out in the open.”
One expert familiar with the surrogacy regulation process pointed out that confusion around legality is not uncommon, especially given the complexity of the legal framework.
“There is a proper and strictly regulated process to get surrogacy done in India under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, and many people fail to fully understand the legal requirements — this often causes serious confusion and, in some cases, illegal operations,” the expert said.
The process of surrogacy in India begins with eligibility and screening. Only Indian heterosexual married couples, including NRIs or OCI cardholders, are permitted to seek surrogacy. The couple must have been married for at least five years and be medically certified as infertile.
Women must be between 23 and 50 years of age, and men between 26 and 55. Surrogacy is permitted solely on medical grounds, and only altruistic surrogacy — with no financial compensation beyond medical expenses — is allowed.
The intended parents must first obtain a certificate of infertility from a registered medical practitioner. This is followed by securing a Certificate of Essentiality and a Certificate of Eligibility from the Appropriate Authority.
The surrogate must be psychologically and physically fit, have at least one biological child of her own, and be within the permitted age group, typically 25 to 35.
The entire legal process usually takes three to six months, depending on documentation and court timelines. Only after legal approval can the medical process begin at a registered ART clinic.
The expert emphasised that “only altruistic surrogacy is permitted, surrogates must be healthy and unrelated, and no part of the process can bypass legal oversight. Violations invite serious penalties — up to ten years of imprisonment or fines of up to ₹10 lakh.”
Following revelations of serious irregularities at fertility centres, Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav directed officials to conduct a detailed examination of all fertility clinics operating in the state and submit a comprehensive report.
“There is a pressing need to examine how fertility centres are functioning across Andhra Pradesh,” said Health Minister Yadav. “I have asked officials to submit a report detailing how many centres are operating with valid permissions, how many without, and what kind of inspections have been carried out in the last year.”
The minister said the instruction was issued after it emerged that several clinics may be offering ART services outside the legal and regulatory framework. “There appears to be a mismatch between the number of centres operating in Telangana and what is listed online. This cannot be ignored,” said Yadav.
The department has now been asked to compile specific data, including how many centres have been approved by DMHOs in each district, how many are operating without permission, how many inspections were conducted in 2024–25, how many complaints were received and what action was taken, how many centres were denied permission, and what mechanisms are in place to ensure compliance with ART regulations.
Meanwhile, the Telangana State Human Rights Commission (TSHRC) has taken suo-motu cognisance of widespread reports of illegal and unethical practices allegedly being carried out at the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad and its associated clinics in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam.
“It has been brought to the notice of the Commission through several leading newspapers that serious illegal and unethical practices have been taking place at the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre and its associated clinics,” the TSHRC noted in its official proceedings.
The Commission also flagged reports of an unauthorised sperm collection racket allegedly being run under the name Indian Sperm Tech Clinic.
The Commission has directed the Principal Secretary of the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department, Government of Telangana, to submit a comprehensive report on the matter by 28 August, covering action taken so far, status of prior complaints and FIRs against the accused, a list of identified victims, the role of public officials in enabling or failing to prevent the alleged violations and preventive measures for monitoring fertility centres and ART services in the state.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
