Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday searched 11 premises across Maharashtra, including Badlapur, Ulhasnagar, Nashik and Baramati, in connection with an alleged illegal human egg extraction and sale racket in which more than 40 economically vulnerable women are suspected to have been exploited through repeated egg-retrieval procedures for monetary compensation. The agency is probing the financial transactions linked to the alleged operation and the role of intermediaries and medical establishments suspected of facilitating the procedures.
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The searches covered fertility centres, hospitals and premises linked to arrested agents and other accused. In Ulhasnagar, the ED searched premises at Subhash Tekdi, Daha Chawl, in Camp 4, linked to arrested agent Manjusha Wankhede, local agent responsible for procuring women, managing local logistical transit points, and arranging illegal, unprescribed sonographies at local facilities to Bhagwandas Sonography in Ulhasnagar. Premises linked to another arrested agent, Ashwini Rupesh Chabukswar, were also searched.
The agency also searched the sonography centre at Bhagwan Hospital in Ulhasnagar, which was raided and sealed by the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation in March 2026 over alleged violations. Searches were also conducted at an allegedly unauthorised IVF facility in Badlapur. In Nashik,the ED searched an IVF centre and the residential and official premises of its director, who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the alleged illegal human egg extraction and sale racket. The searches also covered premises linked to other accused and intermediaries as the agency traced financial transactions allegedly linked to the racket, including payments to women and intermediaries and transactions involving medical establishments.
The ED’s action follows an investigation by Badlapur police, who filed a chargesheet in May 2026 alleging that economically vulnerable women were recruited to induced to undergo repeated egg-retrieval procedures for payment, with each cycle fetching between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000. The women were allegedly administered hormonal injections to stimulate egg production before being sent to IVF centres for egg extraction and subsequent commercial sale. More than 40 women are suspected to have been exploited. In one case, a woman allegedly underwent the procedure 33 times.
According to the police investigation, women were allegedly administered hormonal injections over 10 to 12 days to stimulate egg development. Sonography examinations were conducted before and after the injections, and the reports were allegedly sent to IVF and ART centres in different states. Once the eggs were considered ready for retrieval, the women were taken to these centres, where doctors allegedly extracted the eggs in operation theatres. The police complaint further alleged that doctors associated with the centres made cash payments to the local operator facilitating the process.
The police investigation also uncovered the alleged use of forged Aadhaar cards and other documents to conceal women's identities and facilitate repeated egg donations.
The case came to light after a woman approached local health authorities, alleging that she had not received the promised payment for an egg-donation procedure. The Thane district civil surgeon subsequently informed Dr Yotsna Sawant, medical officer in charge at Badlapur Sub-District Hospital, about suspected illegal activities involving IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedures.
Acting on the information, police and medical officials raided the Badlapur residence of Sulakshana Gadekar, 44, who is alleged to have coordinated the operation. They recovered hormone injections and syringes valued at approximately Rs 3.94 lakh, including Menotropin, Chorionic Gonadotropin, Cetrorelix Acetate and Triptorelin, allegedly stored and used outside authorised medical settings.
During questioning, Gadekar allegedly told investigators that she recruited women, arranged sonography examinations, administered hormonal injections and forwarded reports to IVF centres. She reportedly stated that doctors at the centres assessed whether the eggs were ready for retrieval and that she received cash payments for facilitating the procedures.
Badlapur police filed a chargesheet of approximately 5,000 pages before a court in Ulhasnagar in May 2026, naming 15 accused, including five doctors. Eight accused had been arrested.Police recorded statements from 25 witnesses and investigated approximately 250 egg-donation procedures. Investigators also alleged that a woman who had undergone repeated egg-donation procedures later became an agent and recruited other women for the process.
The ED's investigation is focused on the financial trail, including payments to women and intermediaries, transactions involving IVF centres and the accounts and records of medical establishments allegedly linked to the network. The agency is also seeking to establish the financial roles of the individuals and entities suspected of facilitating the operation.
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