ED attaches Rs 30 crore assets of doctor linked to surrogacy racket
HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached 50 immovable properties worth Rs 29.76 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during its investigation into an illegal surrogacy racket allegedly run by Dr Pachipalli Namratha, also known as Athluri Namratha, in the name of Universal Srusthi Fertility and Research Centre.
The attached assets include land parcels, flats and a hospital registered in the names of Dr Namratha and her sons. Their present market value is estimated at around Rs 50 crore.
The agency initiated the investigation based on multiple FIRs registered by the Gopalapuram police in Hyderabad for fraud, cheating, criminal conspiracy, illegal surrogacy and child trafficking.
According to the ED, Dr Pachipalli Namratha, through the Universal Srusthi Fertility and Research Centre, provided childless couples with newborn babies through a surrogacy racket allegedly operated through her clinic with the help of employees and agents.
The PMLA investigation found that Dr Namratha collected large sums from couples on the promise of delivering a baby through a surrogate mother. To present the procedure as legitimate, the couples’ gametes were collected for implantation in a surrogate mother.
However, investigators found that the newborn babies were sourced from poor and vulnerable parents who were unable to raise the child and were considering aborting the pregnancy.
A network of agents and sub-agents allegedly arranged pregnant women from economically vulnerable backgrounds and lured them with money to give up their child soon after birth.
Investigations revealed that Dr Namratha allegedly paid about `3.5 lakh for a female child and `4.5 lakh for a male child. Such deliveries were conducted at her hospital in Visakhapatnam after the licence of her Secunderabad hospital was revoked by the authorities.
The birth records submitted to municipal authorities were allegedly forged to show the names of the childless couples as the parents instead of the biological parents.
The ED said Dr Namratha had been involved in the racket since 2014 and continued the operation even after multiple cases were registered against her and her medical licence was suspended.
Investigators also found that several couples were cheated through the scheme, with large sums collected through cheques and cash. Part of the money was allegedly paid to agents and sub-agents as commission and to the biological parents of trafficked babies.
Analysis of bank accounts linked to Dr Namratha confirmed that funds collected from couples were used to make payments to agents and sub-agents, who in turn paid the biological parents.
During the investigation, several properties were identified in the names of Dr Namratha and her sons, with payments for many assets allegedly made in cash using proceeds of crime.
The ED had arrested Dr Namratha on February 12, under Section 19 of the PMLA. She is currently in judicial custody.