Kidney racket: 15 more accused named

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 4

Four days after arresting five persons in an inter-state kidney racket, the Jalandhar police have identified 15 persons who are the donors or recipients.

Most of them belong to Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi. Police teams have been sent to nab them.

Dr Rajesh Aggarwal of National Kidney hospital in Jalandhar has been asked to appear before the SIT tomorrow.

Those already arrested are Junaid Ahmed Khan and Kuldeep Kumar of Faridabad, Saboor Ahmed Khan and Vardan Chandar Rao of Lucknow and Harwinder Singh of Jalandhar. During a medical examination of the accused, it was found that both Junaid and Saboor have one kidney. The police are suspecting that they might have sold their kidneys in connivance with the doctors.

A senior police officer said: “Since records of five kidney transplant cases were seized from National Kidney Hospital in which 10 donors and recipients of UP, J&K and Delhi underwent kidney transplants. Five other unknown persons who forged identity to become donor have also been named in the case,” another police officer said.

Sources said the name of another hospital of Ludhiana had also cropped where one of the nabbed accused had undergone kidney transplant and in return he was given a hefty amount. “One of the accused, Saboor, has confessed to have sold his kidney in a hospital in Ludhiana. We have sought the record of past kidney transplants from the hospital and the said hospital’s doctor has been told to join investigation,” the official said.

Hospital followed rules : Dr Rajesh

“National Kidney hospital has no role in the ongoing kidney scandal. The allegations against the hospital are baseless. We have performed operations after following the requisite norms. Some people have cheated the hospital using forged documents and some lab employees was also involved,” claimed Dr Aggarwal.

Doctor’s wife may face heat

Dr Aggarwal’s wife Deepa Aggarwal, who owns Sunder Lab, whose helper used to change blood samples to clear DNA reports to facilitate illegal kidney transplant, will also join investigation as the lab is registered in her name. “We have also seized the lab records of all blood samples sent for DNA testing. Whosoever turns out to be the legal owner may face the heat,” a police officer said.