Surrogacy Racket Dupes Illiterate Women

Hyderabad:A group of fraudsters running a racket to exploit women in the name of surrogacy and allegedly cheating them without paying promised money to them is leaving several women in the lurch.

Investigation done by Deccan Chronicle revealed that the deadly mafia is involved in this child trafficking racket and most victims are single women or divorcees and those hailing from low-income groups, who are not aware about the deadly effects of the steroids that are administered in them.

The racketeers get women to sign an agreement by giving them between Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 as an initial payment after the formation of the egg. After medical examination, they would take the woman to unknown places in Chennai forcing them to stay for nine months till delivery, sources disclosed.

After the delivery, they would claim the new born baby and leave the mother in the lurch without paying the `2 lakh as promised. At least, four women from Telangana have faced the same situation, according to a city-based NGO.

The NGO said the group was adopting unethical practices and duping the women and over dozens of women have been lured by these racket members and taken to Chennai and secretly accommodating them in paying guests accommodation, hostels, small apartments and shifting their location every month till their delivery.

No one knows what happens to the children after delivery. Even today there are more than 50 women from twin cities at a child care centre in Chennai.

According to a victim, they gave her some injections and tablets. “I felt energetic for a couple of days and my health deteriorated later on. Initially, they paid me `30,000 and promised to pay `2 lakh after the delivery However, I heard from other Telugu women that they have not paid them the promised money and they cannot complain to the police because the agreement itself was illegal.”

“Something should be done about this. A very big mafia involved in selling children targeting illiterates from lower middle class. They take advantage of their poverty to benefit themselves with lakhs of rupees,” she said. She said contacted an NGO who assured her to probe into this issue and ensure justice is done to victims.

“I am a widow from Hyderabad. Doctors here in Chennai are very rude and they do not say anything. They have their own network across south India, which lures women into this racket. The Telangana government should take this issue seriously,” she added.

According to senior advocate and social activist Mohammed Rafiuddin Kaleem, the surrogacy law allows for only altruistic surrogacy, which requires the surrogate mother to carry the child to help another individual or couple without receiving monetary compensation other than medical expenses and insurance coverage.

He added that the Indian Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 was based on arguments that commercial reproductive contracts, such as those for surrogacy, have exploited India's working class and impoverished women and halted the issuance of visas to foreigners travelling to India for surrogacy purposes. In February 2024, the Indian government amended the surrogacy rules to allow the use of donor gametes for married couples, only if one partner has a medical condition that necessitates it.

He said that the violators of surrogacy laws in India can face a fine of `10 lakh along with an imprisonment for 10 years.