43 women rescued from illegal harvesting of human eggs in Hyderabad

Eight people were arrested and 43 women from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states were rescued during simultaneous raids at four premises in Hyderabad as police busted alleged illegal human egg harvesting and commercial sales that involved recruiting, transporting and housing women for oocyte donation procedures.

The raids were conducted by the Begumpet and Saroornagar police along with the Malkajgiri Commissionerate’s special operation team at premises in Prakash Nagar, Begumpet, Erragadda, Saroornagar and Gopalapuram. Police have seized documents, mobile phones and other material while the identities, circumstances of recruitment and medical histories of the rescued women are being verified.

Commissioner of Police Malkajgiri B. Sumathi said the investigation is looking into how the women were recruited from different states and brought to Hyderabad after being offered ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 for each egg donation cycle. “We review recruitment, transport, accommodation and medical procedures, including whether required legal and security protocols have been followed,” she said.

During the investigation, the women reportedly told police they were given hormone injections and medication in connection with the proposed procedures. The police seized five bottles of Humog HP 150 IU injections, a syringe, two needles, Primolut and Meprate tablets and other material.

Police said inspections of the premises also raised concerns about the absence of authorized medical supervision and measures to dispose of biomedical waste. The investigation is also looking into medical records, informed consent, donor rates, insurance and security protocols, as well as legal compliance of fertility centers and ART banks under the Assisted Reproduction (Regulation) Act 2021.

Amit Sharma, 44, Nikkat Parveen, 31, Reshma Khatoon, 26, IVF agent or sub-agent Meghavath Srinivas alias Sonu, 23, and Jepray Pradeep, 23, were arrested in connection with the Begumpet and Saroornagar cases. 27, Sk. Parveen, 42, Vijay Bhagwah Rao Salunke, 46, and Pankaj Soni, 52. Emirisheetty Durga Prasad, 42, a businessman from Saroornagar, was also arrested in connection with one of the Saroornagar cases.

Police said Amit Sharma operated from rented premises in Prakash Nagar, Begumpet for about two years and paid ₹50,000 per month. Nikkat Parveen allegedly recruited women, mainly from West Bengal, through agents and coordinated their transportation to Hyderabad.

Preliminary investigations show that organizers, recruiters, agents and brokers allegedly identified women in various states by offering them cash incentives, transporting them to Hyderabad, housing them in rented premises and referring them to fertility service providers for ovarian stimulation and oocyte collection.

The investigation also focuses on identifying recruitment agents, tracking the transportation of women, verifying suspected fake Aadhaar cards, affidavits and other documents, and tracking financial transactions and kickbacks. Police are investigating whether coercion, deception, exploitation or human trafficking has occurred and whether fertility centers and ART banks have complied with legal requirements.

Cases have been registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 29 and 33 of the Assisted Reproduction (Regulation) Act, 2021. Further investigation is underway.

Published – 31 Oct 2026 22:24 IST