Hello,
Infertility is rising in Nepal, and there is a growing demand for ova. The high demand, coupled with a lack of clear guidelines on the issue, seems to have created a situation that is ripe for exploitation.
In our latest story, in fact, the first from Nepal, Sunita Neupane, investigates a case of a private fertility clinic that is being accused of exploitation by two girls. The girls claim they were misled, exploited and lured on the pretext of money. The families of the girls said their daughters were minors at the time of ovum extraction, which is proven by their birth certificates, and no consent was taken from the parents.
The controversial case led to an extensive investigation. However, Nepal’s first female Attorney General, Sabita Bhandari, who is also a shareholder in the private clinic accused of crime, has allegedly derailed prosecution to shield the accused and the clinic. The private clinic has also accused the girls of defrauding. The case is now pending in Nepal’s Supreme Court.
Read our latest investigation here:
We are a small team that is able to conduct these deep investigations due to your generous support and ideas. Please continue to read our work and support us.
Warm regards,
Mayank Aggarwal
Editor
The Reporters’ Collective