A special investigation team (SIT) from Maharashtra's Chandrapur has flown to Kolkata, marking a significant expansion in the probe into a sprawling inter-state kidney trafficking network. The four-member squad aims to trace a crucial suspect based in the eastern metropolis and examine establishments allegedly used in the illegal organ trade.
Victim's Testimony Guides the Investigation
The team, which departed on Thursday, is accompanied by the key victim in the case, Roshan Kule, a marginal farmer from Minthur village in Chandrapur's Nagbhid taluka. Kule's harrowing account of being lured, tested, and flown abroad for an illegal transplant has become central to unravelling the wider nexus. In Kolkata, the SIT will verify the medical tests conducted on Kule at a local pathology lab and scrutinise the hotel where he stayed before being taken to Cambodia for surgery.
Doctors and Brokers on the Run
The investigation has now zeroed in on two primary absconding accused: a broker from Kolkata and Dr Rajaratnam Govindaswamy, the Managing Director of Star KIMS Hospital in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. They are wanted for their alleged roles in the illegal procurement and transplantation of kidneys. Investigators confirm the network involved several prominent medical professionals.
In a major development, Delhi-based surgeon Dr Ravinder Pal Singh was arrested on December 29. His LinkedIn profile claims he was recommended for a Padma Shri award in 2022. However, a Delhi court granted him interim bail during a hearing for transit remand. He has been ordered to appear before a Chandrapur court on January 2.
Political Links and a Stalled TN Probe
Dr Singh's name emerged from the call records of another arrested accused, Ramkrishna Sunchu alias 'Dr Krishna', who was nabbed in Solapur. Police sources hint that two more doctors, including one with political connections, are under scrutiny for their suspected involvement. Sources indicate at least four to five more medical practitioners may be linked to the network.
Meanwhile, the case has seen little progress in Tamil Nadu. Two days after Maharashtra police visited the state on December 30 to investigate the Trichy-based doctor's role, the local police have been preoccupied with festivals and holidays, slowing down the collaborative effort.
Earlier, Chandrapur police had formally named two doctors, including Dr Rajarathinam G of Star Kims International Hospital and Research Institute in Trichy, in the suspected organ trade case. The police allege that several illegal organ transplants were performed at the Trichy hospital, which operated with an organised network of agents, donors, doctors, and hospital staff spanning multiple states and even extending to countries like Cambodia and China.
