A major kidney racket unearthed in Bangalore

The Bangalore police have unearthed a major illegal kidney transplantation racket and arrested three persons in the connection.

The kidney transplantation racket came to light on Sunday when a prospective victim of the racketeers tipped off the police, who raided a house in Doddabettahalli in Nelamangala taluk on the outskirts of Bangalore and rescued five others kept in confinement, pending the removal of their kidneys.

The main accused Mahadeva, 59, has confessed to the police that he had been running the racket for the last seven years and had roped in 25 donors so far. The prospective donors, who had been rescued in the operation, had been kept in confinement at the house of his accomplice Mohan Kumar, 29, and Ravi Kumar, 26, who had also been arrested.

Police said the racketeers would convince poor and debt-ridden people to sell their kidney to ailing recipients. “They would sell the organs for Rs 400,000 and gave the victims only Rs 100,000”, according to a senior police officer.

The racketeers had successfully hoodwinked all Government agencies regulating the exercise, including the Authorization Committee, a body set up by the State Government under the Human Organ Transplantation Act to ensure that organ transplants are not performed for commercial considerations.

Mahadeva had created a network of agents who would facilitate the creation of fake documents to facilitate the kidney transplantation. After securing all the necessary approvals through dubious means, the donors were taken to various speciality hospitals in the City for the transplantation. Police said the hospitals were not involved, as they were not aware that the documents had been forged.

Police said the accused and their relatives too had donated their kidneys. While Ravi Kumar had donated his kidney two years ago, Mohan Kumar’s wife Uma had donated her kidney to the wife of a politician. The main accused Mahadeva had three wives and of them have donated their kidneys, police said.

Police said Mohan Kumar’s wife Uma was also part of the gang. The police are looking out for her and another accused, who are absconding.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has expressed shock over the kidney racket and directed the police initiate stringent action against the persons involved.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Kumaraswamy said the Government would not spare the guilty. “I have asked the police to furnish a detailed report on this. If required an inquiry will be ordered into the matter”, he said.