Overview

• The Enforcement Directorate searched nine locations across Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam on September 25, recovering documents listing defrauded couples and property holdings.
• The money-laundering probe follows multiple FIRs by Gopalapuram Police alleging fraud, criminal conspiracy, illegal surrogacy and child trafficking involving Dr. Pachipalli (Athluri) Namratha.
• Seized material indicates operations running for over 10 years through centres in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Nellore and Kolkata.
• Complaints say couples paid about ₹30 lakh—₹15 lakh by cheque and ₹15 lakh in cash—after being promised surrogacy using their own embryos, with DNA tests in cases showing no biological link, including one flagged during a foreign passport application.
• Investigators say agents recruited poor, often pregnant, women to surrender newborns for small sums while most proceeds were retained by Dr. Namratha and used to buy properties, with further action under PMLA progressing.