All 5 doctors granted bail, told to visit police weekly

MUMBAI: A local magistrate court on Thursday granted conditional bail to five doctors of Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital arrested in the kidney racket. They were released

MUMBAI: A local magistrate court on Thursday granted conditional bail to five doctors of Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital arrested in the kidney racket. They were released on paying a surety of Rs30,000 each.

HT Image

The first doctors - CEO Dr Sujit Chatterjee, medical director Dr Anurag Naik, Dr Mukesh Madhukar Shette, Dr Mukesh Shah, and Dr Prakashchandra Shette – were arrested on August 9 under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act after the Directorate of State Health Services (DHS) named them in its inquiry report.

The defense had argued on Tuesday that the doctors have been “languishing in prison” for the “minor offence of not filling proper forms”.

On Thursday, while granting bail to the five doctors, the court ordered them to visit Powai police station every Monday between 6pm and 8pm until September 26. It also said they must inform the court before leaving the country.

Ponda had requested the court to consider the bail plea on humanitarian grounds as Dr Shette’s wife has delivered twins. “The couple has been blessed with babies after 17 years. ,” he said.

Advocate Pranav Badheka told the court, “None of these forms (forged documents) would lead to a grave offence. The section of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (under which the doctors have been charged) is not a serious offence; it is punishable by only seven years in jail.”

After the doctors were granted bail, the management of Hiranandani hospital issued this statement: “We respect the judicial process that is underway and will continue to lend our complete support to the ongoing police investigation. Since this matter has come to light, we have commissioned an internal inquiry and engaged external consultants to conduct a forensic investigation.”