A kidney racket allegedly running across the country and abroad was busted as the joint team from Haridwar and Dehradun police arrested an agent of the racket identified as Javed Khan, native of Mumbai, on Monday.
Four donors, including two women, were also travelling in the same car, police said, adding that two of them have already given their kidneys at Gangotri Charitable Hospital under Uttranchal Dental College laltappar, Doiwala. It is further learnt that the two who have already given their kidneys are yet to be paid.
They along with two others who are willing to donate the organ were being taken to Delhi to be paid. The four donors were questioned by police following which it was learnt that the villagers from several states, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Gujarat, are being targeted for selling their kidneys.
Police are on the lookout for a Dehradun-based doctor Amit Rawat and others who is involved in the kidney racket. Police informed that the kidneys taken away from the donors at a Doiwala-based hospital were transported to places across the country as well as to some foreign countries.
Providing details, Dehradun SSP Nivedita Kukreti said that a charitable hospital in Doiwala was the centre of the racket. “After receiving tip-off of four persons being taken to Delhi via Haridwar, a joint team from Hardwar and Dehradun police conducted a vehicle checking drive at the border areas of Haridwar and Dehradun. A car bearing number UA08TA5119 was stopped for checking at Saptrishi post. Four persons, including two women, and the driver were found sitting in the car.
They were identified as Bhavji Bhai, native of Gujarat and Shekhtaj, Susama Banerjee, and Krishna Das, all natives of West Bengal. The driver was identified as Deepak Kumar, resident of Haridwar. As police questioned them, Bhavji Bhai said that Javed Khan, a resident of Mumbai, had asked him to come to Gangotri Charitable Hospital for selling his kidney. Javed had promised to pay him Rs 3 lakh in lieu of the organ to be operated out of his body.
Police learnt that Krishna Das and Shekhtaj Ali have already given their kidneys. However, as Krishna and Shekhtaj were yet to be paid as promised Bhavji Bhai and Susama refused to let their kidneys extricated. All four were being taken away to Delhi to be given or assured of the cash. The agent Javed Khan was also going to Delhi along with them. Meanwhile, the four created a ruckus in the car which led some locals to call up police. With police following the car, Javed got down at a desolate place. later, he was arrested. The doctor who operated the kidneys out of the bodies of the donors, Amit Rawat is now on the run. More would be revealed once he is arrested,” she said.
Police further said that an air ticket booked in the name of one Oman had been recovered. “We suspect that the racket trades in kidneys abroad too,” said a police officer privy to the probe. He further said that the police team members along with the health department and FSl officials are investigating the case. “Hospital staffers are being questioned too to verify whether they are involved in the kidney trade or not,” SSP added.
Garhwal Range DIG Pushpak Jyoti said that a case under appropriate sections of transplantation of human organs Act, 1994 and sections 342, 420, 370(1) of IPC has been registered against Javed and Amit Rawat along with some unidentified persons involved in the kidney trade in Doiwala police station. The SSP said that the racket had been on for about three months.