His family has been traced to an upscale locality in Toronto but there are no clues about Amit Kumar, alias Santosh Rameshwar Raut, the alleged kingpin behind the massive illegal kidney transplant scam that has shaken India.
His wife Poonam Ameet and two sons live in a newly built posh house on Pali Drive in the upcoming Bovaird and Airport area, not far from Toronto airport. Kumar had reportedly bought the four-room house for $610,000 last year in this Indian neighbourhood where his two sons, aged four and five, attend a local private school.
But the family has refused to come out and speak to anyone since news broke of the scam in which most recipients of illegal kidney transplants were non-Indians.
During his short stays in Toronto, Kumar had reportedly told neighbours that he was a cardiovascular surgeon in India and wanted to wind up his business there to be with his family.
He was here till the Christmas holidays, zipping around in a leased luxury car, they said.
"I met him at a Christmas party. He was enjoying himself so much and we had no clue that this man was involved in such a heinous activity in India. I spoke with him and was very impressed when he talked about his work," said a local journalist who didn't want to be named.
{{/usCountry}}"I met him at a Christmas party. He was enjoying himself so much and we had no clue that this man was involved in such a heinous activity in India. I spoke with him and was very impressed when he talked about his work," said a local journalist who didn't want to be named.
{{/usCountry}}The area where the family lives is predominantly Indian and most new immigrants buy their first houses there.
Neighbours said they were shocked to know that India's `Dr Horror' had his family in their midst.
Some told local journalists that the rich lifestyle of this newly arrived family made them suspect. They said they wondered how someone so new to this country could buy such a big house so quickly and move around in luxury cars.
His 28-year-old wife had reportedly told them that they had married 10 years ago and that it was Kumar's second marriage. His first wife had left him after his arrest in a kidney transplant racket in Mumbai in 1994.
When IANS contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police media office for their comment, a lady officer said: "We are closed today and you can call tomorrow morning".
Interpol's Canada unit has arrest warrants against Kumar, who operated from two bungalows in Gurgaon, the IT hub bordering New Delhi, and whose racket spread over seven Indian states.