Delhi kidney racket: Gang gave donor ‘make over’ to pass off as recipient’s relative, reveal police
The Delhi police arrested four persons in the case, however, the kingpin is believed to be missing.
The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested four persons for their alleged involvement in a kidney racket that is believed to be spread across the country, including the national Capital, reported PTI. The gang was busted by the police officers at Batra Hospital in Delhi, with the help of a Pune student who posed as a donor to set up a trap.
Jaideep Sharma’s (23) friend Rajesh had gone missing days after he mentioned about earning money through kidney donation. Suspecting foul play, Sharma approached the police. Posing as a donor, he got in touch with one Imtiaz, who then introduced him to a Jayant Sahoo alias Rahul, reported PTI.
Sharma was taken to Delhi by the accused and the police had given him spying devices for surveillance. “It took over 40 days of investigation and over 200 hours of video recording by the Crime Branch officials to unearth the entire scam,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Praveer Ranjan told DNA.
After Sharma was told by the accused he had to donate his kidney to a man from Andhra Pradesh, he was given a “make-over” by the gang to look like a relative of the patient. Fake Aadhaar card, voter card, certificates, PAN card were prepared in the name of Polepeddy Snayna Podma Phani Kumar – Sharma’s alias, reported Hindustan Times.
The police said Sharma had deliberately answered some questions incorrectly when he appeared before the Internal Committee of Doctors for a screening at Batra Hospital. However, his case was still approved which has now led the police to believe some doctors may also have been involved in the racket, PTI reported.
The kidney transplant was scheduled for Wednesday, however, the police arrested the accused and the transplant was cancelled. The kingpin of the gang, identified as Srikant Sahoo, is absconding, DNA reported.