Kanpur police have identified 12 hospitals in four districts as potentially being linked to a multi-crore illegal kidney racket, prompting them to seek verification from health authorities in Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Lucknow. The investigation, which began with a racket busted in Kanpur, has now expanded to identify hospitals where illegal kidney transplant procedures may have been carried out or where the accused individuals are associated.
Expanding Investigation into Hospitals
Kanpur Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) S M Qasim Abidi stated that letters have been dispatched to the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of Meerut, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, and Kanpur districts to verify the details of the identified hospitals. This move signifies a significant broadening of the investigation beyond the initial arrests made in Kanpur. The police have so far arrested eight individuals in connection with the case, including five doctors, an ambulance operator, and two operation theatre technicians. These arrests are part of an intensive effort to dismantle a network suspected of facilitating illegal organ trafficking.
Modus Operandi and Network Uncovered
Initial findings suggest a sophisticated operation where vulnerable individuals, often in financial distress, were lured with promises of money for their kidneys, only to be paid significantly less than agreed upon. Kidneys reportedly bought for approximately ₹5-6 lakh were then sold to recipients for amounts ranging from ₹60 lakh to ₹1 crore. Communication between the involved parties is believed to have occurred through encrypted messaging platforms, allowing for a degree of anonymity and coordination. The investigation has also revealed that an operation theatre technician, identified as Mudassar Ali, allegedly performed numerous kidney transplants without possessing the necessary medical qualifications, with estimates suggesting he conducted between 40 to 50 such procedures. One specific instance involved the transplant of a kidney from an MBA student to a recipient, with both patients later transferred to different hospitals.
International Links and Tragic Outcomes
The probe has also uncovered potential international connections, with indications that foreign nationals may have been involved in or have availed of the illegal procedures. The recovery of audio recordings from the phone of an alleged middleman, Shivam Agarwal, has provided crucial insights into the scale and brazenness of the operation, including clips that appear to show large sums of cash, suspected to be proceeds from the racket. Disturbingly, evidence has emerged suggesting that at least one woman who underwent an illegal kidney transplant at a Kanpur hospital subsequently died at a hospital in Delhi. This tragic outcome has added a grim dimension to the ongoing investigation, with police seeking to identify the deceased and her family.
Broader Network and Previous Arrests
The hospitals currently under scrutiny are those where the illegal procedures were allegedly conducted or where the accused are known to be associated. The hospital run by a doctor couple, Surjeet Ahuja and Preeti Ahuja, is believed to have served as a hub for these illegal transplants, with evidence pointing to seven to eight such procedures being conducted there. The investigation also aims to apprehend four doctors from Meerut who are suspected to be part of the racket, with a team of doctors reportedly travelling to Kanpur to perform surgeries. Previous arrests in the case, dating back to late March, included five doctors and an ambulance operator following raids on three hospitals in Kanpur: Ahuja Hospital, Priya Hospital, and Med Life Hospital.
The Chenab Times News Desk