A shocking kidney transplant racket has been exposed, revealing a complex web of deceit involving fake family trees, forged documents, and a ghost lab that existed only on paper. This scheme revolves around a 10-member syndicate connected to a Delhi surgeon and two well-known hospitals in Noida, exploiting loopholes in organ donation laws and bypassing diplomatic scrutiny to facilitate illegal transplants.
Two Well-Known Noida Hospitals Under the Lens
At the center of this scandal are Yatharth Hospital and Apollo Hospital in Noida. Investigations have uncovered that the syndicate used dubious props, including a plastic box labeled “premium dates” filled with red “official” stickers, to lend an air of legitimacy to their operations. Authorities have arrested ten suspects, including a 50-year-old surgeon accused of performing 20-25 transplants for Bangladeshi patients over the past three years.
Dr. Vijaya Rajakumari, the main accused, conducted a total of 61 kidney transplant surgeries for Bangladeshi patients between August 7, 2022, and May 13, 2024, at Yatharth Hospital and 66 surgeries at Apollo Hospital from January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2023.
Piling Evidence
The investigation has revealed extensive evidence against the syndicate, including interrogation reports, international approval forms, and call records. These documents confirm the massive scale of the illegal kidney racket. Police records show that only one out of 90 Form 21 verifications involved a close relative; most donors were falsely labeled as distant relatives.
Forged Documents and Fake Family Trees
The syndicate employed forged documents and fabricated family trees to circumvent strict organ donation laws in India. They created elaborate relationships between donors and recipients to secure necessary approvals for transplants. A ghost lab named Raju Diagnostic played a crucial role in this scheme by generating fraudulent medical reports.
Police investigations indicate that close relatives of recipients were often deemed unfit using forged documents, allowing fake donors to be created through fabricated family trees. In fact, in many cases, donors were misrepresented as being related through convoluted familial ties - such as being the recipient’s sister’s son or mother’s sister’s son.
What Did the Police and Court Do?
The Delhi Police launched an investigation after receiving an alert from the Union Health Ministry about a rise in “commercial dealings” involving organ transplants for foreigners. Following this alert, ten individuals were arrested, including Dr. Rajakumari on July 1. However, despite facing serious charges under the IPC and the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, she was granted bail on August 23 by the Delhi High Court.
Bypassing Legal Requirements
In India, organ donation is strictly regulated; only close blood relatives can donate. Foreign nationals must submit Form 21 - a no-objection certificate from their embassy confirming that the donation is voluntary. The syndicate allegedly fabricated these forms by creating fake familial ties to bypass legal scrutiny. This misuse of Form 21 is unprecedented in India’s history.
Major Money Taken from Poor Families
The operation targeted impoverished individuals from Bangladesh with promises of financial compensation for their kidneys. They offered around ₹4-5 lakh while charging recipients approximately ₹25 lakh for transplants - much higher than the standard rate of ₹5-15 lakh for complex cases in Noida. Arrested Bangladeshi nationals reported being promised around ₹8 lakh for each transplant.
Evidence Collected by Authorities
Authorities revealed that Rasel, a medical translator linked to the racket, manipulated documents using templates saved on his laptop. Items seized during raids included a box labeled "Oasis Arabia premium dates" filled with official stickers and seals from various officials. A pen drive containing 991 files - including digital signatures, bank details, fake IDs, and reports from Raju Diagnostic - was also recovered. Rasel admitted that an official from the Bangladesh High Commission charged ₹20,000 per case to expedite patient files.
Ongoing Investigations and Future Implications
As investigations continue, police are awaiting verification from the Bangladesh High Commission regarding the authenticity of documents used in these cases. The implications of this racket raise urgent concerns about vulnerabilities in India's organ transplant regulations and highlight the need for stricter oversight within medical institutions and governmental bodies involved in organ transplantation.
On September 12, a Delhi court took cognizance of the chargesheet filed under sections of the IPC related to cheating and criminal conspiracy as well as under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994.
This case shows significant gaps in regulatory frameworks governing organ transplants in India and calls for immediate reforms to prevent such exploitation in the future.
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