Gurgaon kidney scandal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The multi-billion rupee Gurgaon kidney scandal came to light in January 2008 when police arrested several people for running a kidney transplant racket in Gurgaon,[1] an industrial township near New Delhi, India. Kidneys from most of the victims, who were the poor hailing from the nearby western Uttar Pradesh,[1] were transplanted into clients from United States, England, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Greece.[2] The police raid was prompted by complaints by the locals from Moradabad about illegal kidney sales.[3] The man accused of the scandal, Amit Kumar, was arrested in Nepal on 7 February and has denied any hand in criminal activity.[4]

Contents

[edit] Chronology of events

Wikinews
Wikinews has news about "Gurgaon kidney scandal":

[edit] The police raid

On January 24, 2008, police teams from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh raid a residential building and a guest house owned by Amit Kumar.[5]

According to the Gurgaon police, the scandal at a local clinic was going on for six to seven years. The donors were lured with offerings of about Rs. 30,000 for kidney removal.[6] First, they were lured to the clinic on the pretext of job opportunities. They were instead asked for donating their kidneys for the fee and all those who resisted this were drugged against their will and subsequently operated upon.[7]

The Haryana police, under whose jurisdiction the scandal happened, issued arrest warrants against Upendra Aggarwal, a general physician and an associate of Amit Kumar for his involvement in the scandal. However, at the time of the police raid, Kumar and his other accomplices escaped after the knowledge of possible arrests.[8]

The raid helped rescue five people and shifted them to a Gurgaon hospital.[5]

[edit] Aftermath of the raid

On January 25, 2008, the police detained a United States-based Non-resident Indian couple and three Greek nationals, two among them being patients receiving the transplants.[5]

The police revealed that Dr. Amit Kumar and his accomplices had performed 600 kidney transplants in the past decade.[5][8] It was further revealed that Kumar, his brother Jeevan Kumar, Upendra Aggarwal and Saraj Kumar, an anesthesiologist were previously arrested thrice on charges of illegal human organ transplantation in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. They were, however, released on bail.[5] On 7 January 2008 Kumar was arrested by Delhi Police but was released on a bribe of Rs. 20 lakhs.[9] Jeevan Kumar was later arrested on 17 February, 2008 in Delhi.[10]

The Indian Medical Association, arranged a probe by its three-member committee, and further requested investigation by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India's premier investigation agency.[5] The Haryana police further uncovered 2 hospitals and 10 laboratories in Greater Noida and Meerut, cities nearby to New Delhi for their alleged involvement in the scandal.[5]

In the meanwhile, a Gurgaon court had issued arrest warrants for Amit Kumar and his brother, Jeevan Kumar Rawat. With growing suspicions that Kumar might have fled the country[11], the Haryana police requested the CBI to alert the Interpol. Thereafter, Red corner notices were issued for the Kumar siblings.[12]

[edit] Arrest of Amit Kumar

On February 7, 2008, Amit Kumar was arrested in the neighboring country of Nepal. He was hiding in a wildlife resort, about 35 miles from the Indo-Nepal border. He had a bank draft worth Rs. 936,000 along with a total of € 145,000 and $ 18,900 in cash.[13] At the resort he made an unsuccessful attempt to bribe the Nepali policemen to let him go. [14] The charges filed against him by CBI are 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon), 342 (wrongful confinement), 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy). [15]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Kidney racket busted in Gurgaon", The Times of India, 2008-01-25. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 
  2. ^ Ahuja, Sanjeev K.. "Global kidney racket busted in Gurgaon", Hindustan Times, 2008-01-25. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 
  3. ^ "Doctor held for kidney racket", NDTV, 2008-01-25. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 
  4. ^ I have done nothing wrong: Kingpin. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Spilling the Beans: How the kidney racket unfolded", Indo-Asian News Service, CNN-IBN, 2008-02-08. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 
  6. ^ Kidney racket: Women did con job for Amit Kumar. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  7. ^ Ramesh, Randeep. "Indian police arrest suspected kidney snatching gang", The Guardian, 2008-01-25. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 
  8. ^ a b "Kidney kingpin has network of overseas touts", Sify, 2008-02-06. Retrieved on 2008-02-06. 
  9. ^ Delhi policeman arrested in kidney racket scandal. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  10. ^ India organ doctor associate held. Retrieved on 2008-02-18.
  11. ^ "Kidney kingpin had links with Nepal minister", CNN-IBN, 2008-02-04. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 
  12. ^ Srivastava, Tushar. "Red Corner notices out for kingpin, brother", Hindustan Times, 2008-02-01. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 
  13. ^ Ramesh, Randeep. "Doctor arrested over Indian kidney racket", The Guardian, 2008-02-09. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 
  14. ^ Amit Kumar tried to bribe Nepali cops: report. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
  15. ^ Amit Kumar sent to CBI custody till Feb. 22 in kidney racket. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.