14 IVF Centres Under Scanner In Hyderabad Egg Donation Racket, 8 Arrested

The investigation into an alleged interstate illegal human egg donation racket has widened, with the police in Telangana's Malkajgiri getting custody of eight accused for five days and looking into possible links between recruitment agents, fertility centres and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) banks.

A court has allowed the police to keep the accused in custody till November 15.

Investigators hope to establish how women were recruited from different states, transported to Hyderabad, accommodated and allegedly referred for oocyte extraction procedures. It is a minor surgical procedure used in ART such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or egg freezing, to collect mature eggs from ovaries.

Three cases have been filed with Begumpet and Saroornagar police stations in Hyderabad.

The police have identified 31 women linked to the Begumpet case and are verifying their medical histories, consent forms and previous donation records. In the initial operation, 43 women were rescued from different locations across the city.

The probe has uncovered suspected manipulation of identity documents. Another accused, Praveen, was arrested on November 9 for his alleged role in preparing forged Aadhaar documents. A laptop and two mobile phones were seized for forensic examination.

Investigators are examining allegations that forged identities were used to facilitate repeat donations and circumvent regulatory restrictions. The police have issued notices under Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to 14 fertility hospitals, IVF centres and ART banks, seeking donor registration, KYC, consent, medical and financial records.

The health department has inspected 27 of Telangana's 44 registered ART facilities, reportedly detecting 13 categories of regulatory violations and issuing show-cause notices to seven facilities.

The investigation assumes significance in view of Section 27 of the ART (Regulation) Act, 2021, which specifies that women donors must be aged between 23 and 35, can donate oocytes only once in their lifetime and a maximum of seven oocytes can be retrieved.

Malkajgiri Police Commissioner B Sumathi has said the investigation will examine the entire recruitment chain, medical procedures, financial transactions and the role of fertility establishments.

The police are also tracing the alleged money trail to identify beneficiaries and determine whether women were subjected to coercion, deception or exploitation. Officials maintain that further action will depend on evidence gathered during the investigation.