Thane Police have arrested an electrician from Jalgaon district in Maharashtra in connection with an alleged illegal egg extraction and surrogacy racket, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to seven, officials said on Friday. The accused, identified as Satish Chaudhary, is believed to have played a crucial role in the operation by preparing forged Aadhaar cards and other identity documents, reported Mid Day. Police said these documents were created for financially vulnerable women who were targeted and exploited by the network. Investigators revealed that the fake identities were used to conceal the women’s real details and help the accused carry out illegal fertility-related procedures without drawing attention.
Earlier in the week, investigators also arrested Dr Amol Patil, a dentist from Nashik, who is suspected of helping the syndicate arrange illegal surrogate mother agreements. According to police officials, Patil was associated with Malti IVF Center, a fertility facility registered in his wife’s name. Authorities allege that several illegal activities linked to the racket were conducted at this centre. Officials said the developments indicate the existence of a well-organised network operating through multiple individuals. Investigators are now examining the role of other medical professionals and middlemen who may have assisted the group in running the illegal surrogacy and egg extraction operations.
The racket was exposed in Badlapur in Thane district after a woman approached the police claiming she had not been paid for donating her eggs. Her complaint triggered an investigation, following which police raided the residence of the alleged kingpin, 44-year-old Sulakshana Gadekar. During the search, officers recovered hormonal injections that are typically used in egg extraction procedures. Investigators suspect that the network may have connections across several states. Data retrieved from seized mobile phones suggests that women were lured with payments ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 and later transported to cities such as Bengaluru, Telangana, Nagpur, Pune and Nashik for the extraction procedures.
Also Read: “Happy Anniversary Cutie,” Allu Arjun Shares Heartfelt Annid
Egg donation is a fertility treatment in which a woman donates her eggs to help another person conceive, usually through in vitro fertilisation, commonly known as IVF. The process generally involves medical screening and hormone therapy to stimulate egg production before the eggs are retrieved. These eggs are then fertilised in a laboratory and later transferred to the intended recipient. While the procedure is permitted under regulated medical guidelines, officials said illegal networks exploit loopholes by bypassing safeguards, manipulating identities and conducting procedures without proper authorisation, which can put donors at serious health and legal risk.
Meanwhile, civic authorities have sealed a sonography centre operating at Bhagwan Hospital in Ulhasnagar for allegedly breaching regulations and permitting unqualified individuals to perform diagnostic scans. Earlier, a nurse working at the same hospital had been arrested for allegedly carrying out unauthorised sonography tests that were used to monitor egg development for the syndicate. Officials said the action was taken after investigators found irregularities during the probe. Police stated that the investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests are possible as authorities continue to trace the wider network involved in the illegal operation.