While the investigating police here are trying to downplay the kidney theft menace by claiming that in the specific case the organ transplantation was done as per established law, inquiries revealed that an organised kidney theft racket was active in the city targeting the poor families.
After preliminary inquiries, the Commissionerate police on Monday claimed that no illegality has yet been established in the removal of one of the kidneys of a city-based married woman at the Apollo Hospital in Bhubaneswar and medical documents revealed that she was a voluntary donor of the organ.
“The woman who is currently recuperating in the Bhubaneswar hospital has, in fact, sworn an affidavit in this regard and her kidney was removed for the purpose of transplantation on one of her relatives after due approval from the DMET (Director of Medical Education and Training),” said Cuttack city DCP Sanjib Arora on Monday, adding that no one was arrested in this connection even as investigations are on.
The donor woman’s husband Bhabagrahi Nayak, however, claimed that he was promised Rs 3 lakh for his wife’s kidney and he has received only Rs 50,000 of the deal amount.
A four-member police team from the city had rushed to the Bhubaneswar hospital on Sunday night for investigation after a case was registered at the Mangalabag police station here following complaints by locals that a racket involving organ theft is operating in the city.
“Targeting the poor families in particular, the racket is coaxing them to give their unused organs in exchange of money,” the locals alleged, saying that the police are trying to hush up the issue.
A local woman addressed as Sharmishtha Madam is believed to be the kingpin of the racket, which operates in connivance with certain doctors from private hospitals. “The racket in the meantime has proliferated in the city and at least a dozen people from the locality have either been lured or forced to part with their organs,” alleged a resident of Naik Sahi, where the present kidney woman resides.