Seven individuals were detained by the North Zone Task Force team following a raid by Health department officials on an unregistered fertility centre in Secunderabad.
The accused were found doing unauthorised reproductive procedures in violation of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.
The facility, named – Indian Sperm Tech, was being run from Regimental Bazaar, near Secunderabad East Metro Station.
This arrests come on the heels of busting of a illegal surrogacy and baby-selling racket in the area.
The operation was carried out at around 10 p.m. by a team from the office of the District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO), led by Deputy Chief Surgeon Dr P. Sridhar, along with staff members J. Ramulu, Narsimha, and Chandrasheker. Police personnel from Gopalapuram also assisted during the raid.
Those detained at the scene include Pankaj Soni, 50, the centre’s manager and alleged owner, Sampath, 42, working as the cashier; K. Srinu, 35, an employee originally from Visakhapatnam, Jitender Kumavath, 34, a native of Indore, L. Shiva, 35, and P. Manikanta, 25, both acting as brokers, and Kansri Boro, 30, an egg donor from Assam.
According to the complaint submitted by Dr Sridhar, the centre was being run without registration from the District Registering Authority and was collecting semen and eggs without authorisation. “These were allegedly being sold to private healthcare facilities. At the time of the raid, the officials found 17 sperm donors and 11 egg donors present on the premises. The team also seized several documents and records related to donor information, payment registers, semen sample files, and a surrogacy application for a woman named Manasa, wife of Shiva Rama Krishna,” said an officer from the Task Force, adding that a copy of the Surrogacy Act and other related files were also recovered.
The premises were being operated by unqualified staff with no formal medical oversight. The entire facility was sealed following the raid, and a formal complaint was lodged with the Gopalapuram Police, seeking legal action against Indian Sperm Tech, a unit of Sperm Tech India Pvt. Ltd.
A case has been registered under Sections 21, 26, and 27 of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.
Published – July 29, 2025 12:50 am IST
