MUMBAI: Taking a non-sympathetic view of organ trade, the state's public health department has asked the police to book a city-based donor-recipient duo for their involvement in an international kidney racket that spanned from Ahmedabad to Cairo. The recipient, a 54-year-old Malad-based affluent businessman, and the donor, a 29-year-old driver from Taloja, now face charges for breach of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 (THOA).
The name of Pankaj Rao, a car dealer in Malad, cropped up during investigation in the racket covering nine Indian states and Nile Badrawi Hospital in Cairo, for allegedly buying a kidney from driver Yaseer Ahmed Basha from Taloja in Navi Mumbai. After studying the case details, the directorate of health services (DHS) has asked Sahar police to file an FIR and book Rao and Basha under sections 18 and 19 of the Act. Agents running the racket, too, have been booked under the same sections in addition to the Indian Penal Code.
"The Act defines anybody indulging in the business of organ trade as serious offender. We have also written to the Centre underlining the need for better scrutiny as it involves other states, including Punjab, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh," a state official told TOI. If proved guilty, the accused can face a jail term of up to 10 years and a penalty of up to Rs 25 lakh. The investigation has so far led to six donors and six recipients, including the daughter of the mayor of Phagwara.
In a statement to the police, Rao's brother Manoj (48), a stockbroker, has said his brother has been a diabetes patient for the past 30 years. The need for a transplant arose in the last two years as the health complications multiplied. He told cops that Rao's 27-year-old son was a diabetic and his 53-year-old wife too weak to qualify as donors. Interestingly, a state official said the family never enlisted for a cadaveric organ, which is usually the first step.
Manoj mentioned an "acquaintance" who had provided the mastermind Suresh Prajapati's mobile number. He got in touch with Prajapati this June and travelled to Ahmedabad for their first meeting. Prajapati's office, which Manoj said was a stone's throw away from the Ahmedabad high court, bore a signboard 'Shiksha Consultancy'. He told cops that Prajapati had assured to arrange for the transplant, tickets, visa and stay for Rs 45 lakh. He claimed the family had to sell their jewellery to arrange the money.
Intriguingly, Manoj in his statement, mentioned that Rao was taken to the "Indian embassy" in Cairo, and a local police station and some public health department, to sign multiple papers, soon after they landed in July 13. Rao was accompanied by his wife and son to Cairo. A person called Madhu received them at the airport and took them to an apartment and later to the Nile Badrawi Hospital.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GET Free Educational Updates (Entrance Exam, Admissions, Jobs & many more...) Alerts on WhatsApp, Send message on 7720025900
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'विद्यार्थी मित्र' जॉईन करा आणि मिळवा न्यूज, जॉब, माहिती अगदी विनामूल्य ते ही आपल्या व्हॉटस्अॅपवर. <नाव> <शहराचे नाव> <नोकरी>७७२०० २५९०० मेसेज व्हॉटस्अॅपवर पाठवा
https://goo.gl/YPjt94
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
