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Nine recipients, fake donors join probe into kidney racket
As many as nine persons, including patients who had undergone transplant at the National Kidney Hospital in Jalandhar and fake donors, joined the probe into the infamous kidney racket and recorded their statements before police.
As many as nine persons, including patients who had undergone transplant at the National Kidney Hospital in Jalandhar and fake donors, joined the probe into the infamous kidney racket and recorded their statements before police.
Three special teams that were sent to Delhi and Ludhiana last week, came back on Wednesday after receiving crucial information pertaining to the racket.
As per details procured from the special investigation team (SIT), the recipients and fake donors who joined the probe are Mohinder Khurana, his wife Sujata, Poonam Jain, her husband Pardeep Jain, son Ayush Kumar Jain, Ankit Arneja, his brother Ankur Arneja, their mother Jyoti Arneja, all residents of Delhi, and Phoola Kumari of Ludhiana.
All of them were earlier arrested and then, released on bail.
The interrogation revealed that Mohinder Khurana received a kidney from Durga of Kanpur who was shown as his wife and donor Sujata Khurana. He underwent transplant on April 4 at the National Kidney Hospital.
Khurana reportedly paid Rs 13.50 lakh to the kingpin Junaid Ahmed Khan (out on bail) as per the deal.
Poonam Jain, a kidney recipient, underwent transplant at hospital on June 5 and received kidney from Iqbal Khan of Lucknow who was shown as her son Ayush Kumar Jain.
The Jain family paid Rs 13.50 lakh to Junaid who had demanded Rs 18 lakh for the kidney.
Poonam’s husband Pardeep reportedly signed on the document showing Poonam and Iqbal as mother and son.
Another Delhi resident and kidney recipient Ankit Arneja underwent transplant at the hospital on June 23. One Manu of Delhi gave his kidney to Ankit. Manu was shown as Ankit’s brother Ankur in the records.
As per records, Rs 2.75 lakh and Rs 1.75 lakh were reportedly deposited by the Arneja family into the account of hospital and Dr Rajesh Aggarwal, the owner of the kidney hospital and a prime accused in the case. The family, however, has paid Rs 9.50 lakh for the surgery.
Before Ankit’s transplant at the National Kidney hospital, the family had also gone to Sri Lanka to search for a kidney but to no avail. Phoola Kumari, a resident of Tajpur road in Ludhiana donated her kidney to Sayik of Srinagar who later died. Kumari reportedly was shown as Sudha, a recepient’s relative in the records, and received Rs 4.6 lakh for donating her kidney.
Sources said another police team would be sent to Lucknow and Kanpur to trace the remaining accused in the case. The city police is also trying to procure fresh arrest warrants of other accused, including Dr Rajesh Aggarwal, who is absconding, in the coming days.
On November 21, Sunil Koul, one of the kidney recipients, who had undergone a transplant at the hospital, had recorded his statement before the SIT. Umar Raja Khan, a Lucknow resident, gave Koul his kidney. Khan was shown as Govinda, Koul’s son.
