Illegal egg extraction racket exposed in Thane, over 40 women exploited

Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission, on Thursday convened a high-level review meeting in Badlapur after the exposure of a large-scale illegal human egg extraction racket operating in Thane district.

Officials said at least 40 women from economically vulnerable backgrounds were allegedly lured into repeated egg donation cycles using forged Aadhaar documents to bypass legal safeguards. A facility identified as Malti IVF Centre , which is licensed to operate only in Nashik, was found to be functioning illegally in Thane without authorization.

Calling the case “far more serious than initially believed,” Chakankar said investigations revealed that none of the five arrested accused possessed any medical qualifications . Despite this, they allegedly administered hormonal injections and conducted egg extraction procedures under anaesthesia, posing grave risks to the women involved.

She directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and local police to immediately verify the licenses of all sonography centres and IVF clinics in the region. Chakankar also ordered statewide raids on medical stores suspected of selling medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits without prescriptions .

“The illegal sale of female eggs has exposed a massive network. We will ensure a thorough investigation into the masterminds behind this racket and the faulty drug supply chain,” she said.

The racket was uncovered after a woman filed a complaint claiming she had not been paid for donating her eggs. This led police to raid the residence of the alleged kingpin, where a stock of hormonal injections was recovered.

According to investigators, data retrieved from mobile phones shows that women were promised Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per donation and transported to cities including Bengaluru, Telangana, Nagpur, Pune and Nashik for egg extraction after receiving hormonal treatment.

Preliminary findings indicate that more than 40 women may have been exploited , with one donor allegedly subjected to the procedure 33 times , in violation of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 , which permits egg donation only once in a lifetime.

Police said further arrests are likely as the investigation expands to identify the wider network involved in the illegal trade.