Thane Police Bust Alleged Egg-Donation Racket in Badlapur, Arrest Three Women

Overview

• The arrests followed a joint police–medical raid in Badlapur East triggered by a victim’s tip to Dr Jyotsna Sawant, the Thane sub-district hospital’s chief medical officer.
• Those held were identified as Sulakshana Gadekar, 44, Ashwini Chabukswar, 29, and Manjusha Wankhede, 46, who allegedly ran the operation from a Nano City apartment after earlier activity in Vangani.
• Officials say the scheme involved hormonal stimulation and sonography monitoring before sending women to IVF centres for surgical egg retrieval.
• Police estimate more than 20 vulnerable women were paid Rs 25,000–30,000 per cycle and allege the eggs were sold for lakhs at IVF facilities.
• Investigators seized photos of injections, sonography reports, fake affidavits, forged documents and digital transaction records; a case is registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the ART Act, the accused are in police custody, and probes now examine possible roles of IVF clinics, doctors and hospitals with turnover suspected in crores.