Police probe alleged trafficking network exploiting vulnerable women
Thane: In a major development, a doctor who is also the director of an IVF centre in Nashik was arrested on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in an illegal racket involving the extraction and sale of human eggs from economically vulnerable women in Maharashtra.
Doctor produced in court, sent to police custody
The accused, who is based in Nashik, was arrested for his alleged role in the racket reportedly operating from Badlapur and Ulhasnagar. He was produced before the Kalyan sessions court, which remanded him to five days of police custody for further investigation.
Links with IVF centre under investigation
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gore said preliminary investigations revealed that the three main accused women, who were arrested earlier, were in direct contact with the Malti IVF centre. Authorities suspect that the racket could be part of a larger interstate or even international trafficking network.
Issue raised in Maharashtra Legislative Council
The case triggered strong reactions in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam described the racket as “extremely serious” and assured strict action. Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe directed authorities to initiate proceedings to cancel the registrations of the accused doctors.
Allegations of repeated illegal egg donations
BJP MLC Chitra Wagh alleged that poor women were lured with money and subjected to repeated hormonal injections and illegal egg extraction under the pretext of IVF and surrogacy. Some women reportedly donated eggs eight to ten times, far exceeding the legally permitted one-time limit, and were allegedly sent back without medical follow-up care.
Police suspect larger network across states
Investigators believe the racket may have links to centres in Telangana and Karnataka. So far, around 10 women have been identified by police, although officials suspect that the number of victims could exceed 20.
Fake Aadhaar cards used to register donors
According to officials, fake Aadhaar cards were allegedly used to repeatedly register the same women under different identities. The arrested doctor has been booked under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, and five persons, all women, have been taken into custody in connection with the case.
Government plans stricter monitoring of IVF centres
The state government has announced stricter monitoring measures, including mandatory Aadhaar authentication and linking all IVF centres to a centralised monitoring system. Maharashtra currently has around 860 IVF centres, and joint inspections will be carried out by district-level teams comprising police and health officials. Authorities are also examining whether the IVF centre, licensed only in Nashik, was operating in Thane without authorisation.
