Police bust illegal egg harvesting racket in Hyderabad, rescue 43 women
Nine people were arrested during raids at four locations in connection with an alleged interstate fertility racket.
Police in Hyderabad rescued 43 women and arrested nine people during simultaneous raids at four locations, according to reports by The Hindu, Deccan Chronicle and Telangana Today. The operations, conducted by Begumpet and Saroornagar police alongside the Malkajgiri Special Operations Team, targeted premises in Prakash Nagar, Begumpet, Erragadda, Saroornagar and Gopalapuram.
Malkajgiri Police Commissioner B. Sumathi said the women were brought from states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. They were allegedly offered between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 for each egg donation cycle before being housed in rented premises and referred for fertility procedures.
During the investigation, some women stated they had been given medicines and hormonal injections to prepare for the procedures. Police seized five vials of Humog HP 150 I.U. injections, syringes, needles, Primolut and Meprate tablets, along with mobile phones and documents.
Eight people were arrested in the Begumpet and Saroornagar cases, including alleged main organiser Amit Sharma, 44, and co-organiser and recruiter Nikkat Parveen, 31. Other detainees include Reshma Khatoon, 26, Meghavath Srinivas alias Sonu, 23, Jepray Pradeep, 27, Sk. Parveen, 42, Vijay Bhagwah Rao Salunke, 46, and Pankaj Soni, 52.
Businessman Emirisheetty Durga Prasad, 42, was arrested in a separate Saroornagar case.
Authorities are investigating suspected forged documents, financial transactions and the involvement of fertility centres. Three cases have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.