Kidney scam: Cops receive panel report

The preliminary report of a three-member state health committee probing the organ donation racket has been submitted to the Mumbai police. Senior officers revealed that the office of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) submitted the report early on Friday morning.

The panel comprises Dr Sujata Patwardhan, zonal transplant co-ordination centre (ZTCC) secretary, Dr Gauri Rathod, assistant director at the DHS, and Dr Kalpana Mehta, a urologist. The three-member panel was set up after the Powai police unearthed an alleged a kidney transplant racket at LH Hiranandani Hospital. A 48-year-old was set to receive a kidney from a woman posing as his wife. The police has till date arrested nine people, including the patient, the organ donor and a hospital employee, for being involved in the racket.

The three-member panel’s report was submitted to the DHS on July 23 and is said to have been forwarded to the Mumbai police on Friday. A source confirmed the same and said Vinayak Deshmukh, DCP (zone 10), was studying the report. “The investigators are still studying the report and the findings of the same. They will start charting out appropriate steps once that is completed,” said an officer.

A source revealed that senior officers from Powai police station were holding discussions with senior officers about the next step to be taken. Investigators also added that the police had submitted to the panel details about the papers of two more transplant cases that were suspected to be a part of the racket.

When contacted, Mr Deshmukh said: “We cannot reveal more details about the transplant cases that have been submitted to the panel.”