INTRODUCTION
• in 2010. Sushma Pande. an 17—year—old egg donor died in 2010 due to complications from donating eggs at Allahbadia’s Rotunda Fertility Clinic. As per the law. only women aged above 18 years can donate eggs.
• An ailing Sushma was found by her employer. Sunil Chaumal. on August 9, and she died the next day. Chaumal was arrested on the charges of poisoning her. but the high court discharged him in March 2012 and pulled up the police for not looking into the role of egg donation in her death.
• investigation revealed that Sushma was admitted to Allahbadia’s Rotunda Clinic on August 7, 2010, and on two occasions (October 22.20 and February 15.2010). According to the charge sheet. a conclusive postmortem report said that Sushma’s death was caused “due to multiple injuries associated with shock”. The J Hospital’s expert committee said in its report that Sushma went into a shock due to excess hormones that were administered before egg donation.
• Allahbadia submitted three ‘egg donor consent forms’ signed by Sushma to the police and to the Medical Council. which also states the risks of the procedure such as overstimulation of the ovaries. injury to the blood vessels or other internal parts. bruising from injections, etc. Sushma. who had studied till class 6. could not read the form. Also. she was signed at the clinic by the name of Sushma Pramod Dube instead of Sushma Anil kumar Pande. and there was no mechanism in place to check if she was underage. Allahbadia told the police that Sushma had given her PAN Card as proof to show that she was above 18 years of age. “A letter from the Income Tax office revealed that there was no PAN Card in the name of Pramod Dube or Sushma Anilkumar Pande. Allahbadia had lied.” the chargesheet said.
• Despite the victim% mother, Pramila Pande, expressing confidence injustice. it took years to progress in the case. An investigation revealed multiple instances of egg donation by Sushma. despise being underage according to the law. Medical Council notices were issued. but suspension awaited conviction. A committee from JJ Hospital found no negligence on Rotunda’s part. adding to the complexity of the case. Allegations of underage donation and discrepancies in identity documentation surfaced. deepening the mystery. Pramila Pande filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Medical Council. The case highlighted ethical concerns surrounding surrogacy and medical practices.
