Police probe illegal oocyte retrieval racket in Hyderabad

According to a report by The Hindu, police have widened their probe into the illegal oocyte retrieval racket in Hyderabad. The case involved exploiting the vulnerability of women from economically weaker sections, tampering with documents, and investigating the role of IVF and fertility clinics.

LB Nagar DCP B. Anuradha shared details along with the rescued women during a press conference held in the city on Saturday (31st October). All eight accused involved in this racket have been arrested and sent to judicial custody while further investigation is underway.

During simultaneous raids conducted in Hyderabad, a total of 43 women were rescued. Medical examinations of all these women, including blood group and fitness tests, have been completed. The police are now verifying their medical history in coordination with IVF centres to establish their treatment records.

This investigation has raised serious questions about how the women were recruited and whether they gave any informed consent for the procedure. According to the police, women from economically weaker sections were targeted. Not only this, it has also come to light that in some cases signatures on documents were forged by the middlemen themselves. Investigators are also looking into how document forgery was carried out and whether the women fully understood the procedure they were consenting to.

In this case, women were offered an amount ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 for a single egg donation cycle. In contrast, the operators running this scam earned an average of around ₹3 lakh per cycle. The police are now connecting the financial transaction trails of payments and commissions among the organisers, recruiters, and middlemen of this entire racket who used to bring these women to the fertility centres.

The scope of this investigation is extending not just to agents but also to medical institutions. The police are now preparing to send a notice to the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) and will also conduct inspections at ART and fertility centres. On the other hand, some hospital managements have themselves approached the police to inform that employees found involved in this illegal activity have been dismissed from service.

Investigators are also minutely examining how women were recruited from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states, how they were brought to Hyderabad, and where they were sheltered before being sent for the oocyte retrieval procedure. The medical records, consent forms, and all procedures undergone by these women are also being scrutinised closely.