A farmer from Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, who is a central figure in a shocking kidney trafficking case, has come forward with explosive allegations of political pressure. Roshan Kule, a 36-year-old from Mintur village in Nagbhid tehsil, claims a senior political leader is attempting to coerce him into withdrawing his official complaint.
Farmer Vows to Expose Coercion Amid Life Threats
Addressing the media on Thursday, Roshan Kule expressed grave fears for his safety, stating he feels threatened. He made a bold declaration, promising to place concrete evidence of the alleged political pressure into the public domain within the next two days. Kule revealed that the pressure on him has intensified significantly as the police investigation has widened and led to multiple arrests.
He made these serious allegations in the presence of Congress leader and Bramhapuri MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, who has been actively pursuing the case and demanding stringent action against the perpetrators of the illegal organ trade.
From Debt Trap to Organ Trafficking: A Harrowing Tale
Kule reiterated his tragic story, explaining how he was forced into selling his kidney after being hounded by illegal private moneylenders. His ordeal began with a loan of ₹1 lakh, which ballooned to an unpayable ₹74 lakh due to exorbitant and illegal interest rates. With no other escape from the crippling debt, he was trafficked to Cambodia, where his kidney was surgically removed through an illicit network.
He highlighted the grim economics of the black market organ trade, noting that while kidneys command crores of rupees, the donors themselves receive only a pittance, typically between ₹5 to ₹7 lakh.
Investigation Widens, Arrests Made, Bail Denied
The case has peeled back the layers on a vast nexus involving predatory moneylenders, middlemen, and medical professionals, with investigators uncovering both national and international links. So far, two key intermediaries—Ramakrishna Sunchu (Dr Krishna) and Himanshu Bhardwaj—have been arrested. However, Delhi-based Dr Ravinder Pal Singh and Dr Rajaratnam Govindaswamy from a private hospital in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, remain at large.
In a significant development, the Chandrapur sessions court rejected Dr. Singh's bail plea on Wednesday, prompting a police team to be dispatched to Delhi to apprehend him. Furthermore, on Thursday, the same court rejected the bail pleas of five accused illegal moneylenders allegedly responsible for pushing Kule into devastating debt. All six accused moneylenders in the case are currently in judicial custody.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is broadening its probe, with two additional victim donors from Haryana and Rajasthan scheduled to record their statements.
MLA Vijay Wadettiwar condemned the scandal as a symptom of the systemic collapse in protections for distressed farmers, who are often trapped between formal banking channels and illegal loan sharks. He demanded the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the entire network, accusing the government of a lack of urgency and empathy. Farmer leader Bachchu Kadu has also criticized senior BJP leaders for allegedly avoiding the affected families.
