Kidney transplant racket involving Bangladeshis busted, Delhi doctor among 7 arrested
New Delhi, Jul 9: At least seven people, including a 50-year-old Delhi-based woman doctor, have been arrested in connection with an alleged kidney transplant racket running across Bangladesh and the Delhi-NCR region, police officials said on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off, the Delhi Police Crime Branch had been working on the case for two months. A majority of the donors and recipients are from Bangladesh brought to India on the basis of fake documents for the surgeries, officials said.
The woman doctor identified as D Vijaya Rajakumari, now working as a kidney transplant surgeon on a "fee-for-service basis" in the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in southeast Delhi, was allegedly involved in the transplant surgeries of around 15 people from Bangladesh between 2021 and 2023, they said.
Dr Rajakumari allegedly conducted the surgeries in Noida-based Yathartha Hospital where she was a visiting consultant.
The other arrested persons included an assistant of the doctor, identified as Vikram Singh, and three Bangladeshi nationals identified as Rasel, Mihammad Sumon Miyan and Mohammad Rokon alias Rahul Sarkar alias Bijay Mondal.
The arrests took place over the last two weeks, police said.
According to the officials, incriminating materials including 23 stamps, forged files of patients and donors of kidney transplantation, and forged Aadhaar cards were recovered from the possession of the accused persons.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Amit Goel said Rasel is the kingpin of this network, who came to India in 2019 and donated his Kidney to one Bangladeshi patient.
After his surgery, Rasel started the racket. He would coordinate between different stakeholders and established contact with prospective kidney donors from Bangladesh and patients, the DCP said.
One of his associates, Ifti, who is in Bangladesh, used to get the donors, the official added.
He would usually get 20-25 per cent commission after the transplantation, which generally costs a patient Rs 25-30 lakh.
Rasel had taken a house on rent in Jasola, near the Apollo Hospital, from where he, Rokon, Sumon Miya, and one Ratesh Pal of Tripura were arrested on June 16, Goel said.
At their instance, three kidney seekers and three donors were identified, the DCP said.
Another officer said during interrogation, all four accused confessed that they targeted the kidney patients hailing from Bangladesh by visiting the dialysis centres in that country.
They would arrange donors from Bangladesh, taking benefit of their poor financial background and exploited them on the pretext of providing them job in India, the officer said.
The accused would confiscate the donors' passports after reaching India. Thereafter, Rasel, with the help of Sumon Miyan, Rokon and Ratesh Pal, got prepared the forged documents of patients and donors to show the relationship between them, as it is mandatory that only the close relative can be a donor, police officials said.
Vikram, personal assistant of Dr Rajakumari, used to assist in preparation of the patient files and was instrumental in getting the affidavit of patient and donor prepared, they said, adding that Vikram used to take Rs 20,000 per patient.
Rasel also disclosed the name of Mohammad Sharique, who used to take appointment of patients from Dr Rajakumari and get the pathological tests of the donors and seekers done taking Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per patient.
On June 23, Vikram and Sharique were arrested.
According to the officials, Rasel, Vikram and Sharique disclosed that Dr Rajakumari had complete knowledge about each and every illegal act being done by the accused on the basis of forged papers. Accordingly, on July 1, Dr Rajakumari was also arrested in the case.
Investigation is on to identify the number of transplants conducted in the racket, the officials said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Yathartha Hospital stated that the Noida hospital has no direct association with Dr Rajakumari as she is a part of some other hospital.
"For all our procedures, we ensure the highest ethical standards, prioritize patient safety and comply with all clinical and government protocols. We have cooperated fully with all investigations, and there have been no findings of wrongdoing against our hospital or our practices," the spokesperson said in a statement.
The Indraprastha Apollo Hospital (IAH) also released its press statement in which it said the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch department had taken custody of a doctor who had been engaged on a fee-for-service basis and not on the hospital’s payroll.
"This action is subsequent to an investigation pertaining to procedures carried out at another hospital and prima-facie not related to any action or acts at IAH. Given this action by the police, the IAH had placed the doctor under suspension," the statement said.
It further stated that IAH was previously approached by the Crime Branch seeking certain information as part of an investigation, which was duly provided.
"We reiterate our utmost commitment to adhering to all laws, rules and regulations in relation to clinical and administrative processes for all patients – national or international. The wider Apollo Hospitals Group has done more than 25,000 transplants and has followed all laws and processes in letter and spirit. Our processes have been reviewed by competent government authorities who have upheld our record of compliance," it said.
The IAH will provide its fullest cooperation to investigative authorities on this matter, the statement added.
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Successfully overcame major resistance to Karnataka Muslim Convention, says Suhail Ahmed Maroor
Bengaluru: Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota spokesperson Suhail Ahmed Maroor on Saturday said the organisers had successfully overcome what he described as significant resistance to the ‘Karnataka Muslim Convention’, despite a misinformation campaign in the last 24 hours claiming that the event had been cancelled.
Speaking at the convention organised by the Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota at Town Hall in Bengaluru, Maroor began his introductory remarks by reading out the Preamble to the Constitution.
He said the federation had spent the past eight months consulting members of the Muslim community and gathering opinions, with the objective of working for the community’s interests and safeguarding its constitutional rights.
Maroor said the Muslim community has the capacity to gather lakhs of people for religious programmes, but when an attempt was made to mobilise even 1,000 people for a convention focused on political, educational and social issues, questions were raised about who was backing the event, who had funded it, and whether it was for or against any particular political party.
He said the organisers faced considerable pressure, resistance and challenges, and added that many others might have cancelled the programme under such circumstances.
“We are fighting for our rights. We are living in a time when our identity is under threat,” he said.
Referring to the hijab issue, Maroor said the federation had been demanding for the past three years that the government withdraw the order banning hijab. He noted that within three hours of the federation holding a press conference to announce the convention, the government withdrew the order.
He welcomed the government’s decision and expressed gratitude on behalf of the federation.
Maroor said the convention should not be viewed with suspicion simply because the Muslim community had chosen to organise a gathering to discuss its political, educational and social concerns.
He clarified that the programme was not intended as an event against the Congress party or the government, but was aimed at examining what promises the Congress had made to the Muslim community during elections, which of those promises had been fulfilled and which remained pending.
He said the report prepared by the federation analyses both the assurances made by the Congress government and the gaps in implementation.
Maroor added that, for the first time, workers who contribute significantly to the country’s economy were collectively seeking accountability for how their taxes and labour were being recognised.
“This is not being done on behalf of any individual or political party. We are undertaking a small effort on behalf of the community,” he said.
He said that after the convention, the organisers would make efforts to submit the report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, state ministers, the Congress high command and Rahul Gandhi.
Haris Siddiqui of the Karnataka Rajya Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota delivered the welcome address.
