Prayagraj: After arrest of five persons, including four women, for their alleged role in kidnapping of a minor girl and illegal extraction of her ova with the help of forged documents at a local IVF centre, police sped up investigations to bust the network and tighten noose around those involved.DCP (Ganga Nagar) Kuldeep Singh told TOI, “We have written a letter to district health authorities to check norms, rules, and regulations of hospitals engaged in surrogacy (an arrangement whereby a woman gets pregnant and gives birth on behalf of another person or couple who will become the child’s legal parents).” He added, “Police department launched a detailed investigation into the issue and verifying docuements, facts and figures.“The DCP added, “Police have quizzed all five arrested persons, including all four women, at length and chalked out a further course of action.” Following arrest of five persons, including Palak Hela and her mother Rinki Hela, residents of Kareli, Kalpana Bhartiya of Tharwai, Seema Bhartiya and her son Himanshu Bhartiya of Cooper Road, for enticing a 15-year-old girl and facilitating the ova extraction racket using forged documents.After registering the FIR under sections 140(4), 137(2), 143(4), and 351(2) of IPC, and 3/5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 and arrest of five key operatives, police are zeroing in on other big racketeers involved in the illegal trade. Police claimed that after arrest of a registered agent of the IVF centre, police were working on information provided by her, particularly about preparation of forged documents. Police are also trying to connect a link between illegal ova extraction and religious conversion, as well as amount being offered to them.Police said mother of the minor girl (victim) admitted to police that her minor daughter was in touch with a woman who enticed her and assured a big amount for ova extraction. The mother brought her to a one-stop centre on Feb 3, where her statement was recorded before Child Welfare Committee (CWC).The survivor stated that she visited a local IVF centre along with Palak, where ova extraction procedure was carried out.Police said Palak and her mother allegedly lured the girl into becoming IVF donor in exchange for huge money and a costlier mobile. After the minor agreed, Palak and her mother took her to Seema Bhartiya, where, along with others, they allegedly prepared forged documents, including a fake Aadhaar card. The forged documents falsely showed the minor as an adult and married.Police further said that Seema took the victim to a registered agent of the IVF centre, where a fake consent affidavit was prepared. On Jan 20, using the forged documents, the accused allegedly managed to get the ova extraction carried out at the IVF centre.Police, however, claimed that they are compiling the background of all arrested persons, particularly women who used to entice innocent and poor girls for illegal ova extraction and were also involved in religious conversion. The phone details of all arrested persons are being examined and investigations are being carried out about areas and locations where these persons executed their activities for past couple of years. The racketeers were expert in brainwashing victims and even took them to religious sites to win their trust.
