The Cuttack city police on Monday arrested three more persons in connection with the sensational kidney sale racket thereby indicating that the illegal trade of body organs was very much thriving here under the protection of influential persons. With these arrests, the number of persons coming under police dragnet mounted to five.
Interestingly, in the two cases of kidney sale that have come to light till now, the poor donors have all been cheated by the middlemen and they have not received the promised amount in exchange of their body organs. Sources said more such kidney sales have taken place in the city but the victims are reluctant to come out in open for fear of disgrace in public. Meanwhile, police on the day conducted test identification (TI) parade at Choudwar jail in which relatives of a poor victim identified one of the arrested middlemen in presence of the magistrate.
“The successful TI parade would help to build up a strong case against Nirakar Choudhury, who was arrested earlier from his native village at Kendrapada district,” said an investigating police officer here after the TI parade.
Similarly, the other kingpin of the racket-one Sharmishta Naik of Mangalabag area is now being made common accused in the both the cases of kidney sale that are under investigation by the city police. Sharishta is likely to be taken under police remand for further quizzing, said the police officer claiming that some influential persons must have been behind her in this trade of body organs.
Police also on the day arrested Sharmishta’s husband Dillip and two of the relatives of a kidney recipient on several charges of forgery and perjury. In both the cases police have already established that several necessary documents required for organ donation were fraudulently manufactured.In the first case, it was ascertained that the income and residential certificate of the donor and her husband were false and fabricated. Similarly, in the second case, the donor woman was shown as the wife of the recipient under a false name even as the donor was remotely related to the recipient.
However, a pertinent question emerges out of it as to how the State Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET), who heads a medical body to examine the legality of organ donation, could not detect such glaring acts of forgery.
Reports reaching here said the State Health Minister has asked for a detailed report on this significant issue from the State Health Secretary. The Commissionerate Police of the Twin City are also contemplating to submit a report on this to the Health Minister, sources said.