Hyderabad: In a significant development linked to the fake surrogacy scam at Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad, the Andhra Pradesh government ordered the suspension of three doctors over their alleged involvement.
Dr Vasupalli Ravi, working as the Head of Department of Anaesthesia; Dr P Ushadevi, working as the associate professor in the Department of Gynaecology at Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam, and Dr A Vidyullathal, working as the assistant professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the Srikakulam Government Medical College, were suspended after Hyderabad police named them in the FIR.
Andhra Pradesh health minister Satyakumar Yadav stated their suspension would prevent any interference in the ongoing investigation.
Responding to the delay in action, Yadav said that reports of the three government doctors’ arrest were covered in the media on August 9. “Upon inquiry, officials clarified that Hyderabad police had informed them of the dates of arrest and judicial custody only on August 28, and hence the decision was made,” he said.
Surrogacy scam in Hyderabad
A major fake surrogacy and child trafficking scam was unearthed at the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Secunderabad.
The clinic, led by Dr Namratha, who is named as the prime accused, deceived around 80 couples by offering illegal surrogacy services. Instead of using surrogate mothers, the clinic allegedly bought infants from biological parents and presented them as the couples’ own children, using fake DNA reports and medical documents.
The victims paid between Rs 12.5 lakh and Rs 44 lakh, while the biological parents were reportedly paid between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh per child, local media reported.
The cases were registered on August 28 under various sections of the Surrogacy Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
So far, 25 people, including Dr Namratha and her son Jayanth Krishna as well as the clinic staff, have been arrested. On August 14, a sessions court rejected the bail plea of Dr Namratha and her son Jayanth Krishna.
