Kidney racket: Defence seeks bail for 5 doctors

MUMBAI: Lawyers of five doctors, arrested for their alleged involvement in the kidney racket at Dr LH Hiranandani hospital in Powai, sought bail for them on Tuesday, on grounds that they are “languishing in prison for some minor offence of not filling forms”. The court will pass an order on their bail pleas on Thursday.

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Defence advocate Abad Ponda said, “The police have submitted the doctors did not make any profit.” He requested the court to hear the plea on humanitarian grounds as Dr Shette’s wife has delivered twins. Advocate Pranav Badhekar told the court, “None of these forms [forged documents] would lead to violations of grave offence. Both the doctors [Mukesh Shah and Mukesh Madhukar Shette] did not perform any surgery. The authorisation committee cleared the documents.”

Sudhir Sapkale, public prosecutor, opposed the bail plea on grounds that two of the doctors had sought an anticipatory bail, which was rejected by the Dindoshi sessions court on August 12.