ED, Hyderabad Zonal Office, has arrested Dr. Athuluri Namratha @ Pachipalli Namratha on 12.02.2026 under PMLA, 2002 in connection with ongoing investigation in illegal surrogacy racket run by her in the name of Universal Srusthi Fertility & Research Centre. She was produced before the Hon’ble MSJ Court, Nampally, Hyderabad. The Hon’ble Court has remanded her to judicial custody till 26.02.2026.

Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has arrested Dr. Athuluri Namratha @ Pachipalli Namratha on 12.02.2026 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 during the course of investigation in illegal surrogacy racket run by her in the name of Universal Srusthi Fertility & Research Centre.

ED initiated investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Gopalapuram Police Station, Hyderabad for fraud, cheating, criminal conspiracy, illegal surrogacy and child trafficking. Dr. Pachipalli Namratha @ Athluri Namratha (Universal Srusthi Fertility & Research Centre) was providing childless couples with new born babies on the basis of a surrogacy racket that she had orchestrated through her clinic along with her employees and agents. Dr. Namratha and others were arrested by the Police during investigation. She was enlarged on bail on 27.11.2025.

During PMLA investigation, statements of Dr Namratha and her associates were recorded in judicial custody and searches were conducted at various premises which resulted in the seizure of documents evidencing her involvement in this racket since 2014. Investigation revealed that she continued the fake surrogacy racket even after multiple cases were registered against her and her medical license was suspended by the authorities.

ED investigation revealed that Dr. Namratha collected huge sums of money from childless couples on the promise of delivering a baby through a surrogate mother. To project the procedure as genuine, their gametes were collected for implantation into a surrogate mother. However, the new born babies were sourced from poor & vulnerable parents who were unable to raise the child and wanted to abort the pregnancy. A network of agents & sub-agents were found to be involved in the racket for arranging poor & needy pregnant women and luring them with money to give up their child as soon as the child was born.

ED investigation further revealed that Dr Namratha used to pay around Rs.3.5 Lakh for a female child and Rs. 4.5 Lakh for a male child. Such deliveries were conducted at her hospital in Visakhapatnam as the license of her Secunderabad hospital was revoked by the authorities. Further, the birth reports forwarded to the municipal authorities were forged by her and reflected the names of the childless couples as parents instead of the biological parents.

ED investigation revealed that several couples were cheated in the aforesaid manner and huge amounts were collected from them by way of cheque and cash. Part of these amounts were paid to the agents / sub-agents as their commission and also to the biological parents of the trafficked babies. Analysis of the bank accounts maintained by Dr Namratha confirmed the modus operandi wherein the funds collected from the childless couples were found to have been further utilized for making payments to the agents / sub agents and from there further payments were made to the biological parents of the trafficked babies.

During her statements recorded after being released on bail, she remained evasive and non-cooperative despite being confronted with evidences confirming her role in relation to the Proceeds of Crime and the offence of money laundering.

She was therefore arrested on 12.02.2026 and produced before the Hon’ble MSJ Court, Nampally, Hyderabad. The Hon’ble Court has remanded her to judicial custody till 26.02.2026.

Further investigation is under progress.

Draft Tweet:-

ED, Hyderabad Zonal Office, has arrested Dr. Athuluri Namratha @ Pachipalli Namratha on 12.02.2026 under PMLA, 2002 in connection with ongoing investigation in illegal surrogacy racket run by her in the name of Universal Srusthi Fertility & Research Centre. She was produced before the Hon’ble MSJ Court, Nampally, Hyderabad. The Hon’ble Court has remanded her to judicial custody till 26.02.2026.