HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by fertility specialist Dr Pachipala Namratha challenging her arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), while granting her liberty to pursue remedies before the Special Court.
A Division Bench comprising Justice P Sam Koshy and Justice Narsing Rao Nandikonda refused to interfere with her arrest on February 12, 2026, and the subsequent remand orders passed by the Special Sessions Judge for PMLA cases at Nampally.
Dr Namratha, currently lodged in Chanchalguda Central Jail, had alleged that her arrest violated Section 19 of the PMLA and constitutional safeguards under Articles 14, 21, and 22. Her counsel argued that the ED acted mechanically without valid “reasons to believe” based on credible material, rendering the arrest arbitrary and illegal.
However, the ED countered that its action was backed by substantial material, including multiple FIRs, financial records, statements under Section 50 of PMLA, and evidence of alleged illegal surrogacy practices and child trafficking linked to her fertility centre.
The bench held that judicial review in such cases is limited to examining legality and procedural fairness, not reassessing evidence or conducting a “mini-trial.” It further said arrest under the PMLA requires not trial-level proof, but material with a rational nexus to the alleged offence.
The court also rejected claims of “mechanical remand,” observing that remand courts are only required to form a prima facie opinion on compliance with statutory safeguards, and brevity in orders does not imply illegality.
Significantly, the bench noted the serious nature of allegations, including exploitation through illegal surrogacy and manipulation of parenthood, which could have deep psychological and societal consequences. It stressed that such cases require unobstructed investigation.