Police Bust Illegal Egg Harvesting Racket in Hyderabad and Rescue 43 Women

Hyderabad police have rescued 43 women and arrested eight people after busting an illegal human egg harvesting and commercial sale racket during simultaneous raids at four locations.

The Raids And Arrests

Begumpet and Saroornagar police teams, along with the Special Operations Team of the Malkajgiri Commissionerate, raided premises in Prakash Nagar, Begumpet, Erragadda, Saroornagar, and Gopalapuram. Officers seized documents, mobile phones, five vials of Humog HP 150 I.U. injections, a syringe, two needles, Primolut and Meprate tablets, and other material. Among the eight people arrested are alleged main organiser Amit Sharma, co-organiser and recruiter Nikkat Parveen, IVF agent Reshma Khatoon, along with Meghavath Srinivas alias Sonu, Jepray Pradeep, Sk. Parveen, Vijay Bhagwah Rao Salunke, Pankaj Soni, and businessman Emirisheetty Durga Prasad.

Recruitment And Operations

Malkajgiri Police Commissioner B. Sumathi stated that women from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other States were recruited by offering ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 for each egg donation cycle. Amit Sharma operated from a rented property in Prakash Nagar for about two years, paying ₹50,000 monthly. Nikkat Parveen recruited women through agents, particularly from West Bengal, and managed their travel to Hyderabad. The rescued women reported receiving hormonal injections and medicines for the procedures. Inspections also revealed a lack of authorised medical supervision and proper biomedical waste disposal.

Investigation And Legal Action

Investigators are verifying the identities, medical histories, and recruitment circumstances of the rescued women, while also checking for forged Aadhaar cards, affidavits, and financial transactions. Cases have been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 29 and 33 of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.

Context

The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 sets strict legal rules and safety standards for fertility clinics and ART banks across India to prevent the commercial exploitation of donors. Illegal commercial egg harvesting rings typically target economically vulnerable women from various States by offering cash incentives while bypassing mandatory medical checks, proper consent protocols, and legal oversight.