In a sensational breakthrough in the Badlapur egg trafficking case that has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra, the Badlapur Police have arrested Nashik-based dentist Dr Amol Patil, taking the total number of arrests to six. | Representative Image
Badlapur: In a sensational breakthrough in the Badlapur egg trafficking case that has sent shockwaves across Maharashtra, the Badlapur Police have arrested Nashik-based dentist Dr Amol Patil, taking the total number of arrests to six. A local court has remanded Patil to police custody till March 9. However, the alleged mastermind behind the interstate racket remains absconding.
The police conducted coordinated raids in Badlapur, Ulhasnagar, Thane, Wangani, Ambernath and Nashik, seizing medicines worth over ₹15 lakh linked to the illegal fertility operations.
Dentist Accused Of Acting As Surrogacy Agent
Dr Patil is associated with Malati IVF Centre, located in the Mumbai Naka area of Nashik under the Nashik Municipal Corporation limits. The IVF centre is officially registered in his wife’s name. Police had earlier conducted a detailed inspection of the clinic and seized key documents after suspicious paperwork surfaced in Badlapur.
Late Tuesday night, Badlapur Police arrested Patil, accusing him of functioning as a surrogate mother agent and facilitating illegal egg procurement and implantation procedures. Investigations revealed that Patil is a dentist by qualification, while the IVF licence is held in his wife’s name.
Shocking Modus Operandi
According to investigators, the racket involved preparing fake Aadhaar cards and fabricated affidavits to repeatedly use the same women as egg donors under different identities. Mobile phones seized from the accused contained photographs of women, injection procedures, sonography sessions, forged documents and records of financial transactions.
Police suspect that 500 or more women may have been exploited. Donor women were allegedly paid between ₹25,000 and ₹30,000, with economically vulnerable women being specifically targeted.
Among those previously arrested are Sulakshana Gadekar (Badlapur), Ashwini Chabukswar and Manjusha Wankhede (Ulhasnagar), along with Sonal Garewal, believed to be acting as an agent, and Sumit Sonkambale, who allegedly coordinated the operations.
Statewide Links Under Scanner
Speaking earlier on the issue, Maharashtra State Commission for Women Chairperson Rupali Chakankar had indicated possible links between authorised and unauthorised IVF centres operating in Nashik and Thane. She had stated that some of the initially arrested women were not from the medical field but were performing medical-related tasks in the egg implantation process.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gore said the investigation suggests the racket may have connections beyond Maharashtra.
This is not merely a Badlapur issue. The roots of this illegal egg trade appear to be spread across the state. We will dig them out completely he said.
Police teams continue to probe possible involvement of doctors, hospitals and IVF centres across Thane district and other parts of Maharashtra. Raids on suspected illegal IVF and sonography centres in and around Badlapur are ongoing and officials hint that more high-profile arrests may follow.
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