Kathmandu, July 15
Authorities have uncovered a disturbing case involving the illegal extraction and sale of ova (egg cells) from underage girls, lured with promises of money, under the pretense of helping childless couples conceive.
An investigation by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau revealed that girls under the age of 18 were being enticed with financial incentives to donate their ovum. According to CIB Director Chandra Kuber Khapung, the scheme came to light following tips about underage girls being targeted for ovum harvesting and sold for profit.
“On one hand, these operations claimed to assist infertile couples, while on the other, they extracted ovumfrom teenage girls for as little as Rs 15,000 to Rs 16,000. Middlemen bringing in the girls were paid Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000,” said Khapung.
Police arrested five individuals associated with Hope Fertility and Diagnostic Pvt. Ltd. in Kathmandu in connection with the case. However, the legal course of action has faced complications, as authorities debated under which charges to proceed. Initially, the case was handled by the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau, but due to a legal interpretation that ovum extraction does not constitute organ trafficking, it was later transferred to the CIB.
“Since the law considers ovum as cells rather than organs, we consulted government attorneys and decided to investigate the case under the Children’s Act, as the victims were underage,” Khapung told Onlinekhabar. “However, the court instructed us to proceed with the investigation outside of custody, so the suspects were released on bail.”
According to AIG Khapung, the victims reported being injected for 9 to 10 days as part of a procedure to stimulate ovum development. “Once the ova matured, minor surgery was performed to extract and preserve them,” he explained. “Although the suspects are out on bail, the investigation is ongoing, and they are required to report regularly.”
While ovum donation by adult women with informed consent is a separate matter, the exploitation of minors under false pretenses prompted the police to pursue legal action. Officials note that although Nepal has laws governing sperm donation and storage, there are no clear legal provisions regarding ovum donation, creating further challenges for prosecution.
