Kanpur kidney transplant racket: Cops arrest mastermind, an intermediate pass who posed as doctor
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Kanpur (PTI): In a breakthrough in the probe into an illegal kidney transplant racket here, police on Monday arrested Rohit, the alleged mastermind who had been evading arrest for the last two weeks.
Rohit, an intermediate pass who used to pose as a doctor, was picked up from Kanpur. He had reportedly travelled to Goa, Kathmandu, Manali and Shimla to avoid arrest, Commissioner Raghubir Lal told PTI.
With his arrest, the total number of accused in custody has risen to 10.
"Rohit used a stethoscope and an apron to pose himself as a qualified doctor. Photographs recovered from his phone show him inside operating theatres alongside medical professionals. Rohit initially tried to mislead investigators, but later confessed to his crime. He admitted that he was paid Rs 18 lakh per transplant, which he distributed among syndicate members while keeping a cut for himself," the commissioner said.
Rohit carried a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest.
The racket was busted on March 30 after police and health officials raided multiple facilities at Rawatpur and Kalyanpur in Kanpur, including Ahuja, Med-Life and Priya hospitals.
The crackdown followed a complaint by a donor: Ayush, an MBA student from Begusarai, approached police alleging that he was paid only Rs 3.5 lakh against a promised Rs 10 lakh for his kidney.
Earlier, five doctors and Ahuja Hospital owners Dr Preeti Ahuja and Dr Surjeet Singh Ahuja were arrested along with operation theatre technicians and an ambulance driver, Shivam Agarwal, who was a key link between doctors, donors and recipients.
Police said the technicians played a crucial role in arranging equipment and assisting in surgeries.
The probe has widened now, with police suspecting a multi-state and possibly international organ trafficking network involving private hospitals, middlemen and unqualified individuals.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) S M Qasim Abidi said fresh leads have emerged, and further disclosures are expected.
A search is on to nab two other accused -- Afzal and Narendra -- and to uncover the full extent of the network, officials said.
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Karnataka Guv to halve convoy size following PM Modi's austerity call
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday reduced the size of his official convoy to the minimum required strength following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's austerity call.
In a post on 'X', the Lok Bhavan said Gehlot had taken the step in response to the Prime Minister's appeal for fuel conservation and reduction in foreign exchange expenditure amid the West Asia crisis.
"Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot has reduced his convoy to the minimum required strength, following Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji's appeal," the post said.
The move comes days after Modi, while addressing a rally organised by the BJP in Hyderabad, called for several measures aimed at conserving foreign exchange and reducing dependence on imports amid tensions in West Asia.
The Prime Minister had urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, use metro rail services in cities, adopt carpooling, increase the use of electric vehicles and utilise railway services for parcel transportation. He had also suggested working from home wherever possible to conserve fuel and foreign exchange.
Modi further appealed to people to postpone the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year, reduce edible oil consumption, lower dependence on chemical fertilisers and promote natural farming and swadeshi products to strengthen self-reliance and conserve foreign exchange.
