Kidney Racket: CBI files charge sheets against 9 people

In the infamous kidney transplant case, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against nine persons in the court of Special Judicial Magistrate for CBI cases in Ambala.

CBI has also sought permission for continuing the investigation against the rest of the arrested accused persons and others whose names have surfaced during investigation.

The charge sheet was filed under sections 120-B read with 326, 342, 417, 465, 473, 506 and 307 Indian Penal Code and Section 18, 19 and 20 of Transplantation of Human Organs Act (TOHO), 1994 and substantive offences thereof against the nine accused.

During the investigation, overwhelming evidence has been collected to establish the role played by the kingpin, Amit Kumar, behind the racket of illegal kidney transplantations. His real name is Santosh Kumar Raut and he had changed his name as well as date of birth in the year 2001. Starting from 1995 till date, eight criminal cases were found to have been registered against him in Mumbai, Jaipur, Guntur and Delhi. All these cases pertain to illegal transplantation of kidneys.

During the investigations a large number of victims as well as recipients have been examined by the CBI. While some of the recipients reached the kidney kingpin through friendly references, some were actively solicited by the accused persons. The network of recipients extended well beyond the borders of India. Investigation in this regard is continuing.

Apart from statements of victims and recipients, crucial evidence has been collected from the computers seized from the hospital and residential premises of the kingpin, his and his brother's e-mail accounts as well as the mobile phones of the main accused persons. During investigation, three of the accused persons have confessed to this crime before the Judicial Magistrate wherein they have stated in detail the modus operandi and role of all the accused persons.

The concerned premises were also got inspected by a team of expert doctors from Post Graduate of Medical Science, Rohtak as also from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, which has established that the equipment and medicines recovered from these places were exclusively meant for kidney transplantation operations.

Although, Santosh has a degree in Ayurvedic medicines only, he has been conducting kidney transplant surgeries in the clandestine hospital owned and established by him at 4347, Sector-23, Palam Vihar, Gurgaon. In running this racket, he was being actively assisted by his brother who possesses a degree only in Homeopathic medicine. A doctor was also found to be the lynchpin for supply of victims for kidney removal.

The victims whose kidneys were fraudulently removed were poor people and were lured to Gurgaon on the pretext of employment by two middlemen(who were working as agents for the doctor). Two Anesthetists' services were utilised by the kingpin during the period 1999-2008 for performing the illegal kidney transplant operations.

A technician in the hospital who was carrying out blood tests subsequently started getting recipients for the kingpin in order to earn huge commissions in the process. A nurse employed with Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi was illegally assisting in the operation theatre as well as in post operation management.

During the investigations, role of some other persons have also surfaced. Investigation is being carried out on this regard.

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