ED Cracks Down on Illegal Human Egg Extraction Racket: ₹29 Lakh Cash Seized, Bank Lockers and Mutual Fund Investments Frozen
Searches at 10 Premises Across Thane, Baramati and Nashik Uncover Alleged Forgery Network Exploiting Financially Vulnerable Women; IVF Centres and Donor-Supply Agents Under Investigation
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
Mumbai, October 22, 2026: In a significant enforcement action against an alleged illegal human egg extraction racket, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office-II, conducted search operations at 10 premises, including hospitals and In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centres, in Thane, Baramati and Nashik on October 16, 2026.
The searches were carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as part of an ongoing investigation into an organised network suspected of exploiting financially vulnerable women for human egg donation and supplying them to IVF centres and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) banks.
The investigation has brought into focus serious concerns surrounding alleged medical irregularities, identity fraud, the circumvention of statutory safeguards and the potential exploitation of women whose financial circumstances may have left them particularly vulnerable to inducement.
During the search operations, the ED seized cash amounting to ₹29 lakh, froze bank lockers and mutual fund investments, and recovered incriminating documents and digital devices containing material relevant to the investigation.
The agency has also identified additional donor-supply agents and traced multiple immovable properties and investments involving substantial amounts, indicating that the financial dimensions of the alleged racket may extend beyond the premises searched.
Investigation Traces Alleged Criminal Network
The ED initiated its investigation on the basis of an FIR and a subsequent chargesheet filed by Badlapur (East) Police Station in Thane district, Maharashtra.
The underlying case alleges offences of cheating and forgery under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, alongside alleged violations of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
The allegations name Manjusha Wankhede and 16 others. The ED’s investigation is focused on the suspected financial and operational structure of the network, including the role of intermediary agents, donor-supply arrangements and establishments allegedly involved in the procurement and retrieval of human eggs.
According to the investigation, the network allegedly recruited women to donate human eggs in return for monetary compensation.
These women were reportedly connected with various IVF centres and ART banks through donor-supply agents operating under different proprietorship concerns. Payments were allegedly routed through the agents, who also received commissions for facilitating the arrangements.
The suspected arrangement raises serious questions about the manner in which donors were recruited, the transparency of financial transactions and the extent to which the prescribed regulatory and medical requirements were followed.
Forged Documents Allegedly Used to Conceal Donor Identities
A particularly troubling aspect of the investigation concerns the alleged preparation and use of forged documents to conceal the identities of donors, facilitate repeat egg donations and falsely establish medical fitness.
The documents allegedly manipulated included Aadhaar cards, affidavits, consent letters, birth certificates, PAN cards, blood-test reports and insurance papers.
Such alleged practices, if established, could undermine the safeguards intended to protect women undergoing assisted reproductive procedures. Accurate identification, informed consent, reliable medical records and appropriate screening are critical components of responsible reproductive healthcare.
Any deliberate falsification of these records could compromise the ability of medical establishments to assess donor histories and determine whether further procedures are medically appropriate.
The ED’s findings suggest that the alleged use of fabricated documentation may have served not merely to obscure identities but also to facilitate the movement of donors between establishments and enable repeat donations that might otherwise have attracted regulatory scrutiny.
Financially Vulnerable Women Allegedly Targeted
Beyond the suspected financial irregularities, the case carries a significant human dimension. The alleged recruitment of financially vulnerable women in exchange for monetary compensation raises concerns about whether economic distress may have been exploited to secure participation in procedures carrying potential medical risks.
The investigation indicates that women were allegedly sent to different establishments in Maharashtra and other states for human egg retrieval.
If the allegations are substantiated, the practice could point to a wider network in which intermediaries, financial incentives and questionable documentation allegedly operated across institutional and geographical boundaries.
Human egg retrieval is a medical procedure that requires appropriate clinical assessment, informed consent and adherence to applicable regulatory standards.
The alleged circumvention of medical safeguards therefore raises concerns about donor safety, the integrity of medical records and the accountability of those facilitating such procedures.
The case underscores the importance of ensuring that women who participate in assisted reproductive procedures are treated with dignity, provided accurate information and protected against coercion, deception or practices that could expose them to avoidable harm.
PMLA Probe Examines Financial Trail and Assets
The seizure of ₹29 lakh in cash, together with the freezing of bank lockers and mutual fund investments, marks a significant development in the ED’s efforts to examine the financial trail associated with the alleged racket.
The identification of additional donor agents, immovable properties and substantial investments may assist investigators in determining the scale of the suspected operations, the movement of funds and the respective roles of individuals and establishments under scrutiny.
The investigation is continuing, and the agency is examining the material recovered during the searches.
Further action may follow as investigators assess the documents, digital evidence, financial transactions and possible links between the identified intermediaries and establishments.
A Test for Regulatory Compliance and Institutional Accountability
The case places the spotlight on the need for effective oversight of IVF centres, ART banks and intermediary networks involved in donor recruitment.
Regulatory compliance in assisted reproductive healthcare is not merely a matter of administrative procedure it is central to protecting donor welfare, ensuring the reliability of medical information and maintaining public confidence in reproductive medicine.
The allegations also highlight the importance of coordination between law-enforcement agencies, medical regulators and institutions responsible for enforcing statutory safeguards.
Where financial incentives allegedly intersect with falsified records and potentially unsafe medical practices, a thorough investigation is essential to establish responsibility and prevent further harm.
At the same time, the legal process must determine the role of each person and establishment on the basis of admissible evidence. The allegations under investigation should not be treated as proof of guilt, and the rights of the accused must be respected throughout the proceedings.
The investigation remains in progress. The ED is continuing to examine the evidence gathered during the searches, trace the financial and property-related links, and identify other persons who may have been involved in the alleged network.
The unfolding probe is likely to draw renewed attention to the intersection of financial crime, reproductive healthcare regulation and the protection of women who may be vulnerable to exploitation.
