Varanasi (UP): Four people, including a married couple, were arrested for allegedly being involved in the sale of minor girls' eggs to childless couples at an IVF centre here, police said on Friday.

The gang would lure the girls with money and prepare fake papers related to their age to prove they were eligible for egg donation, police said.

Their eggs were sold to a famous IVF centre of the city in exchange for huge sums, police said.

The matter came to light when the mother of a 17-year-old girl from Jaitpura area lodged a complaint blowing a whistle on an illegal egg "donation" operation running at an IVF centre, Mahila Police Station in-charge Nikita Singh said.

According to the complaint, the girl was promised ₹ 30,000 but was paid only ₹ 11,500. Her mother also alleged that she was kept in dark about the entire process.

Kashi Zone DCP R S Gautam said the accused used to target girls from poor families. Involvement of some employees and doctors of the centre has also come to light.

According to the norms prescribed for egg donation, a donor should be above 23 years of age and married with at least one child above three years of age. A woman can donate eggs only once in a lifetime, said a senior officer.

On the basis of the complaint, police launched an investigation and arrested Seema Devi and her husband Ashish Kumar, both residents of Navapura, Anita Devi, a resident of Khonjwan of Bhelupur Police Station, and Anmol Jaiswal of Sonbhadra.