Karnataka: Quacks found giving IVF treatment

Tumakuru: The Karnataka police on Tuesday, April 16, announced the arrest of a couple in Tumakuru district who were accused of administering in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments without any legal license or even a medical certificate. The duo was arrested after a woman who approached them for IVF treatment developed severe complications and died.

The accused, who have been identified as Vani and Manjunath, claimed to be doctors and treated hundreds of couples, charging them several lakh rupees. Investigations revealed that the accused couple only possess SSLC (Class 10) certificates and do not hold medical degrees. The arrest was made by the Nonavinakere police based on a complaint by Mallikarjun, who lost his wife Mamatha (34) allegedly due to the accused couple's illegal practices.

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According to the police, Mallikarjun and Mamatha had been married for 15 years and had reportedly sought help from several hospitals for IVF treatment. They were then approached by Vani and Manjunath, who reportedly assured them of help to conceive. For the procedure, Mallikarjun and Mamatha were charged close to Rs 4 lakh by the accused.

However, soon after the procedure, Mamatha reportedly developed severe abdominal pain, which according to the accused, was an effect of pregnancy, and they reportedly charged more money from the couple. However, when Mamatha went to another hospital after the abdominal pain did not subside, she was told that she was not pregnant in the first place.

As a result of the "treatment", Mamatha developed complications in the kidney, heart, brain, and uterus, and though she was hospitalised, she succumbed on April 23. As per a media report in the Daijiworld, she was treated at St John's hospital in Bengaluru and Sridevi Hospital of Tumkur for three months after facing complications, following which she was shifted to a government hospital where she passed away.

According to reports, many couples from Belagere in Tumakuru — where Mamatha hailed from — are in a panic as they had also approached the accused couple for IVF treatment. Manjunath and Vani are reported to have scammed several couples across Tumakuru district in a similar way, and that a case was registered against them in this regard as early as January 2022 at the Nonavinakere police station, reports the Daiji world. The couple has been arrested and sent to judicial custody.

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