According to a report by the news agency PTI, the women were allegedly recruited in exchange for monetary compensation paid through agents by IVF centres and ART banks. The agents also allegedly received commissions from these activities, the ED said.
The central agency conducted searches at some hospitals and IVF centres in Thane, Baramati and Nashik districts on October 16 as part of the investigation into the alleged racket.
The case, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stems from a Thane Police FIR and chargesheet alleging cheating, forgery and violations of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The allegations name Manjusha Wankhede and 16 others.
The ED suspects that forged documents were used to conceal the identities of egg donors, facilitate repeat donations and falsely establish their medical fitness. The documents allegedly included Aadhaar cards, affidavits, consent letters, birth certificates, PAN cards, blood-test reports and insurance papers.
“The women were allegedly sent to various establishments in Maharashtra and other states for human egg retrieval, thereby exposing them to potential medical risks and circumventing prescribed medical safeguards,” the ED said, PTI reported.
During the searches, the agency seized Rs 29 lakh in cash and froze multiple bank lockers and mutual fund investments. The ED also said it had identified new donor agents as part of its investigation.
The case has also prompted administrative action in Thane. Taking serious note of revelations about an alleged illegal egg-selling racket linked to Badlapur earlier in March, Thane Mayor Sharmila Pimpalkar directed the civic administration to conduct thorough inspections of all IVF and sonography centres across the city.
The directive followed the emergence of links to similar alleged malpractices at a prominent hospital in Thane, prompting action by the civic body's health department. The hospital's approval for its unauthorised IVF centre was cancelled, and three sonography machines were sealed during a raid on March 6.
The ED's investigation and the civic administration's inspection drive have brought the alleged recruitment of financially vulnerable women, the use of forged medical and identity documents, and compliance at IVF and sonography centres under scrutiny.
About The Author
Comment List