Sixth arrest in inter‑state egg‑smuggling racket, authorities widen probe

Police investigating an inter‑state female egg‑smuggling and illegal surrogacy racket have arrested Nashik-based dentist Dr Amol Patil , who allegedly ran unauthorised procedures at an IVF facility registered in his wife’s name. This is the sixth arrest in the case, which spans Badlapur, Ulhasnagar, Thane and Nashik , and authorities continue raids to trace the alleged mastermind.

Dr Patil, director of the Malti IVF Centre , was arrested Tuesday night and remanded in police custody until March 9. Investigators allege he facilitated illegal surrogate mother contracts and egg extraction, exploiting over 500 women , mostly from economically vulnerable backgrounds, who were paid ₹25,000–30,000 while the eggs were sold for lakhs. Police recovered photographs, fake affidavits, forged sonography reports and other documents from devices seized during raids.

The other five arrested are Sulakshana Gadekar, Ashwini Chabukswar, Manjusha Wankhede, Sonal Garewal, and Sumit Sonkamble , accused of recruiting women and processing forged paperwork to bypass laws limiting paid egg donation. Seized medicines and injections are valued at over ₹15 lakh.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance, calling for a time‑bound investigation and support for affected women. In response, the Maharashtra government plans flying squads to monitor IVF and ART centres and may implement Aadhaar-linked centralised registration to prevent identity fraud.

Authorities are also scrutinising other clinics for health violations and potential interstate or international links . Lawmakers have demanded stricter oversight and possible cancellation of registrations for complicit practitioners. Police raids continue as officials aim to dismantle the broader network and protect vulnerable women from further exploitation.