In a major development in the sensational illegal surrogacy racket case in Hyderabad, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Dr. Aduturu Namrata alias Pachipalli Namrata on charges of money laundering. She was produced before a court on Friday and has been remanded to judicial custody until February 26.
According to the ED investigation, Namrata allegedly operated the illegal racket under the name “Universal Srishti Fertility and Research Centre.” Childless couples were reportedly charged hefty sums with promises of providing a baby through surrogacy arrangements.
However, investigators allege that economically vulnerable pregnant women were identified through agents, and newborn babies were purchased immediately after birth. The probe revealed that approximately ₹3.5 lakh was paid for a female infant and ₹4.5 lakh for a male infant, after which the babies were handed over to childless couples.
Earlier, multiple FIRs were registered at Hyderabad’s Gopalapuram Police Station under charges including cheating and child trafficking. Though Namrata was granted bail in November 2025 in those cases, she allegedly failed to cooperate with the ED’s money laundering investigation, leading to her arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The hospital license in Secunderabad has reportedly been cancelled. The ED also found that the illegal operations continued with Visakhapatnam as a base. Fake birth certificates were allegedly created showing the commissioning couples as the biological parents.
Officials stated that a network of agents and sub-agents played a crucial role in the racket. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.
