BANGALORE: The Nandini Layout have begun investigation into a what they suspect could be a racket in selling infants to childless couples.
Police took up the investigation based on a complaint by one Don Bosco who had a child born out of a surrogate mother a few years ago. Bosco recently found out that the baby was not his at all.
Under the lens now is K T Gurumurthy, founder of Shrushti Global Medical Care and Charitable Trust in Basaweshwaranagar
Baby born in seven months: In February 2008, Bosco approached Gurumurthy based on recommendations from various people. Gurumurthy, who promised the couple a baby, quoted Rs 10 lakh and, after much haggling, settled for Rs 3.5 lakh. He then took Bosco’s semen sample.
Seven months later, in October, Bosco and his wife Sarala Devi were given a baby boy. “They were suspicious and asked Gurumurthy how the baby was born in seven months. But he just told them if they did not want the baby, they could return it and he would find another couple to take the baby. Since they had been waiting for 10 years, they did not press the issue further, as they were afraid that the baby would be taken away,” police officials said.
Two years later, the couple had another meeting with Gurumurthy, which ended on a bad note. “The couple noticed that the baby had some kind of nervous problems and suspected that the baby may not be theirs.
They approached Gurumurthy to complain but were threatened and sent away. This time too, the couple did nothing to complain, afraid that they would be in the dock for getting a baby from somewhere,” police said.
Two months ago, Bosco’s wife Sarala Devi died after a brain stroke. Bosco believes that his son’s problems had stressed Sarala Devi to some extent and was also a cause for her death. This time, he decided to file a complaint.
DNA Test confirms suspicions: When he approached the police saying he thought the child was not his, he was asked to confirm this by undergoing a DNA test.
He went to Truth Labs in Hyderabad for the test and his suspicions were confirmed. Based on this, he filed a complaint at the Nandini Layout police station on Saturday following which Gurumurthy was arrested.
Gurumurthy Was a Lab Technician: K T Gurumurthy began his career as a lab technician and set up his first lab in Mahalakshmi Layout in 2007. Police suspect that he may have begun his ‘dubious activities’ then.
In 2011, he was forced to move his lab after residents got suspicious about activities in the lab and complained. He then shut the Shrusthi Global Charitable Trust and started the Shrushti Global Medical Care and Charitable Trust in Basaweshwaranagar.
In January this year, Gurumurthy was in the dock again for criminal intimidation and preventing a health official from inspecting his hospital.
A case was registered at Kamakshipalya police station.
Suspicioin of a Racket: The Nandini Layout police have initiated an investigation into a suspected racket. “We don’t think this is a one-off case. Apart from enquiring into where he got Bosco’s child, we want to find out if other women were involved. We are also looking into whether Gurumurthy still operates some kind of a surrogacy racket,” DCP (North East) T R Suresh said.