The Eluru One Town police investigating allegations of a kidney transplant racket have picked up several people suspecting their involvement in the case on Monday.
A woman named Anuradha had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that a gang had convinced her to sell one of her kidneys for a sum of ₹7 lakh. She accepted their offer and went under the knife at a hospital in Vijayawada, but the gang did not pay her the promised money, she said in her complaint to the police.
Police picked up a few suspects from neighbouring districts and are trying to ascertain how long the accused have been running this racket. The police are also investigating how many people have been similarly cheated, and the role of the hospital, its doctors and paramedical staff in the case.
“We are trying to find out how the money was being transferred, whether the hospital management in Vijayawada (where the surgery was performed) had followed the rules prescribed by the Medical Board while transplanting the kidney, maintained the data of the patient and the donor and the charges collected for transplantation, when the surgery was performed and other details,” said Eluru Superintendent of Police (SP) D. Mary Prasanthi.
“Police are studying the rules of the Medical Board. Instructions have been given to the investigating officers to visit the hospital, verify case sheets and record the statements of the doctors and other staff,” the SP told The Hindu on Monday.
During investigation, police found out that according to the records, Anuradha had donated the kidney to her husband. Police are checking whether the recipient was really her husband or not, as there was an alleged money transaction.
“Taking advantage of financial problems and poverty of the victim, the accused convinced her to sell the kidney and it was reportedly shown in the records that she was donating the kidney to her husband. We are trying to ascertain how the accused managed to tamper with the medical records and the role of other people,” a police officer said.
Eluru Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) E. Srinivasulu said that no arrests have been made in the case yet. “We are verifying the call data recordings of the accused,” the DSP said.
Meanwhile, the One Town Police are probing whether the woman had changed her husband’s name on the Aadhaar Card and other details, and whether there was any exchange of money between the complainant and the accused.
