Overview
- Thane police said an Ambernath court remanded pharmacist Sumit Sonkambale and four women to custody until February 28 as interrogation continues.
- State women’s commission chief Rupali Chakankar directed FDA and police teams to verify licences and conduct raids on IVF and sonography centres in Thane and Badlapur.
- Officials said Malti IVF Centre was licensed only for Nashik yet allegedly operated in Thane, prompting broader checks on similar facilities.
- Preliminary findings indicate more than 40 women were recruited with offers of ₹25,000–₹30,000 and moved to Bengaluru, Telangana, Nagpur, Pune and Nashik, with one donor allegedly subjected to 33 extractions.
- Investigators reported unqualified accused administered hormonal injections and procedures, flagged a nurse who conducted scans without prescriptions for out-of-state agents, and began digital forensics to recover deleted phone data, while defence counsel disputed the charges and cited pending scientific reports.