In another breakthrough regarding the international kidney racket allegedly operating from a hospital in Doiwala, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested another of the accused identified as Sri Niwas Chauhan, resident of Rishikesh, on Wednesday.
Chauhan was working in the X-ray department of Gangotri Charitable Hospital which was used as the centre of the kidney removal and trasplant. He was absconding since the racket came into light. Police recovered kidney- related x-ray reports of the donors from his possession.
Shedding light on the fresh arrest, SIT in-charge SP Rural Sarita Dobhal said on Wednesday that police acted on the inputs on his location in Rishikesh.
“Acting on the tip- off, a team led by sub-inspector Hemant Khanduri was formed to arrest him,” she said.
She further said that as per the investigation, the accused was working in the hospital since January 2017.
“Rajiv Choudhary, who along with his wife Anupama was arrested a few days ago, had employed Chauhan in the hospital’s X-ray department. While Rajeev Choudhary and his wife operated the charitable hospital Dr Amit, his son Dr Akshay, Dr Amit’s brother Jeevan, Dr Sanjay Das (Anesthesia), Dr Sanjay Das’ wife Susma (gynosurgeon) and some ohters were involved in kidney removal and transplantation.
While one identified as Sonu looked after dialysis Deepak, Sarla and Sarita worked as nurses. Chauhan was tasked with doing x-rays of the donors as per the directions of the doctors involved in kidney transplantation.
He confessed during interrogation that all the employees of the hospital were in the know of the illegal kidney trade continuing in the facility.
He further said Dr Amit and Rajiv Choudhary had asked them not to disclose to anyone about the ongoing kidney transplantation in the charitable hospital. As per the investigation, records of the receivers and the donors were not kept in a proper way.
Dr Amit had employed a guard in the charitable hospital and no one was allowed to enter the hospital except through permission from Rajiv Choudhary,” Dobhal added.