An investigation launched in February 2026 into an alleged illegal egg donation racket in Maharashtra culminated in May 2026 with Badlapur police filing a nearly 5,000-page chargesheet against 15 accused, including five doctors. The case drew renewed attention in June after the Maharashtra government assured strict action against those found responsible. The investigation raised concerns over donor safety, regulation of in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics, and compliance with the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.
According to the chargesheet, eight accused were arrested, while seven others were served notices. Police recorded statements from 25 witnesses and documented approximately 250 egg retrieval procedures involving nearly 30 women.
The case also prompted intervention by the National Commission for Women (NCW), which took suo motu cognizance of media reports on the alleged illegal egg extraction racket and directed the Maharashtra Director General of Police to conduct a fair and time-bound investigation. The Commission also sought an Action Taken Report from the state authorities.
Separately, Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar directed the Director of Health Services to carry out a detailed inquiry in coordination with the police. He stated that strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty and reiterated the state's zero-tolerance approach toward violations involving assisted reproductive technology services.
The investigation began after a woman approached a primary health centre in Badlapur alleging that she had not been paid after donating her eggs. The complaint prompted Badlapur police to investigate an alleged network involving recruiters, fertility clinics, medical professionals, pharmacists, sonography operators, medicine suppliers and individuals accused of forging identity documents.
Police completed the inquiry over 88 days, examining records from multiple IVF centres and tracing the alleged operation across different locations.
According to the police investigation, financially vulnerable women were allegedly recruited with promises of ₹20,000 to ₹35,000 for each egg retrieval procedure.
Investigators alleged that women received repeated hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries before undergoing ultrasound monitoring and egg retrieval procedures at IVF centres. Police further alleged that forged Aadhaar cards and fabricated documents were used to present repeat donors as first-time donors, enabling multiple egg retrieval procedures despite legal restrictions.
The investigation also alleged the involvement of recruiters, fertility clinics, sonography operators, pharmacists, medicine suppliers and document forgers who coordinated different stages of the operation.
Among the findings documented during the investigation, police alleged that one woman underwent 37 egg retrieval procedures, while another woman identified during the probe allegedly underwent 45 egg retrieval procedures over several years. These figures relate to separate individuals identified during the investigation.
Dr. Mekhla Iyengar, MBBS, MS, OBG, Infertility specialist, Indra IVF Rajajinagar said, "An egg or oocyte donor provides eggs to help an infertile couple or woman conceive. The donor must be married and have at least one child who is three years of age or older. Under the guidelines, a woman can donate eggs only once in her lifetime, and no more than seven oocytes may be collected during the donation. The recipient is responsible for all expenses related to the egg collection procedure, including any complications arising from it."
Egg retrieval usually follows 10 to 14 days of ovarian stimulation using fertility hormones, during which ultrasound scans monitor follicle development. Once the eggs mature, a trigger injection is administered before retrieval is performed under ultrasound guidance and anesthesia.
During the investigation, police reportedly received information that women were being administered fertility hormone injections inside a residential apartment in Badlapur.
According to Indian Express, subsequent searches reportedly led to the recovery of Menotropin, a fertility medication commonly used to stimulate the ovaries before assisted reproductive procedures. Investigators alleged that the apartment functioned as a location where women received ovarian stimulation before being transported to IVF centres for egg retrieval.
The probe later expanded to examine the alleged involvement of fertility centres and associated personnel in Badlapur, Thane, Mumbai, Baramati and Nashik, with investigators also tracing procedures conducted in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Police also alleged that the operation extended beyond individual clinics and involved coordinated roles performed by recruiters, medicine suppliers, pharmacists, sonography operators, document forgers and fertility centres across multiple districts.
The investigation also examined financial transactions and the possible involvement of around 30 doctors while scrutinizing records linked to IVF procedures conducted during the alleged racket.
Investigators further alleged that a nurse performed ultrasound examinations without prescriptions from doctors and shared scan videos with agents operating in other states to facilitate donor matching, an allegation included in the police chargesheet.
Police also alleged that an IVF centre based in Nashik was operating an unauthorized facility in Thane as part of the broader investigation into the network.
According to a National Academies workshop report "Assessing the Medical Risks of Human Oocyte Donation for Stem Cell Research: Workshop Report (2007)", egg retrieval for IVF involves controlled ovarian stimulation with hormone medications, followed by a trigger injection that prepares the eggs for collection. During the procedure, doctors use ultrasound guidance to insert a needle through the vaginal wall into the ovaries and retrieve mature eggs while the patient is under anesthesia.
Although the procedure is generally completed on an outpatient basis, it remains an invasive surgical intervention and may be associated with risks such as bleeding, infection, injury to surrounding structures, and anesthesia-related complications.
Multiple ovarian stimulation cycles and egg retrieval procedures may increase the risk of adverse effects, highlighting the importance of adhering to established medical guidelines and regulatory safeguards.1
The chargesheet states that women allegedly received between ₹20,000 and ₹35,000 for each egg retrieval cycle, while intended parents reportedly paid ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh for donor eggs.
Police further alleged that agents earned ₹70,000 to ₹1 lakh for arranging donors, with commissions also paid for medicines, diagnostic scans and forged identity documents. These allegations form part of the chargesheet and remain subject to judicial scrutiny.
The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 permits a woman to donate eggs only once in her lifetime and prohibits commercial trading of human gametes. The law also prescribes eligibility criteria for egg donors and regulates assisted reproductive technology clinics.
The Act also permits retrieval of a limited number of oocytes during a single donation cycle and requires ART procedures to be performed only through registered ART clinics and ART banks.
Violations of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 can attract penalties, including suspension or cancellation of the registration of ART clinics and banks that fail to comply with the provisions of the law.
Investigators alleged that forged identities and fabricated records enabled repeated egg retrieval procedures despite these legal safeguards. They further alleged that forged identities were used to repeatedly present the same women as first-time donors, circumventing the safeguards established under the Act.
Authorities have stated that the investigation remains ongoing, with additional scrutiny of medical professionals and fertility centres connected to the alleged network.
The case has renewed concerns about oversight of fertility clinics, enforcement of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and safeguards intended to protect economically vulnerable women from exploitation.
As the case proceeds through the legal system, authorities continue to examine the role of clinics, intermediaries, and medical professionals allegedly connected to the network.
References:
1. Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. Assessing the Medical Risks of Human Oocyte Donation for Stem Cell Research: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2007. https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/11832/chapter/5
2. Indian Council of Medical Research. “The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021.” Accessed June 30, 2026. https://www.icmr.gov.in/the-assisted-reproductive-technology-regulation-act-2021-and-the-surrogacy-regulation-act-2021
