The Kanpur kidney transplant racket investigation intensifies with more arrests and hospital license cancellations, revealing a widespread illegal organ trafficking network.
Police in Kanpur have arrested Kuldeep Singh Raghav and Rajesh Kumar, two operation theatre technicians, as the probe into the illegal kidney transplant racket intensifies, widening action against hospitals allegedly linked to the multi-city network.
The arrests bring the total number of accused held in the case to eight. The duo are accused of involvement in an illegal transplant conducted at a private hospital in Kalyanpur.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) S M Qasim Abidi said the pair had travelled from Delhi on the day of the surgery and returned immediately after the procedure.
During interrogation, the accused revealed they were regularly engaged by a doctor identified as Rohit alias Rahul -- one of the key accused against whom lookout notices have already been issued -- to assist in illegal transplants.
"They were paid between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000 per surgery, apart from travel, accommodation and other expenses," Abidi said.
According to police, Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Ghaziabad, works at a private hospital in Noida, while Raghav, a native of Pilkhuwa in Hapur, is employed at a hospital in Ghaziabad. Their role involved arranging surgical equipment and assisting doctors during transplant procedures.
Investigators said a doctor who travelled with the technicians remains absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him. Police are also analysing call detail records of a suspected middleman to unravel the wider network.
The crackdown comes a day after lookout notices were issued against four doctors -- Rohit alias Rahul, Anurag alias Amit, Afzal and Vaibhav -- believed to be central to the racket, to prevent them from fleeing abroad.
The probe has revealed links spanning multiple cities, including Delhi, Meerut, Lucknow and Ghaziabad, indicating an organised interstate syndicate. More arrests are likely, officials said.
Meanwhile, donor Ayush Chaudhary and recipient Parul Tomar have been shifted to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for specialised treatment. They were transferred from Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital on Thursday morning.
GSVM Medical College Principal Sanjay Kala said both patients are stable and showing improvement but were referred for advanced nephrology care.
In parallel action, the health department cancelled the licences of Ahuja and Priya hospitals for their alleged involvement in the racket and directed them to vacate within three days. Earlier, MedLife Hospital, also linked to the case, was sealed.
Police said further investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the racket's operations and financial trail.