Flashback 2016: Kidney scam unearthed

This year saw one of the major organ donation rackets busted in the city, which led to the arrest of five renowned city-based doctors. The Powai police in July walked in on an illegal kidney transplant operation, which was to be conducted at the Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital in Powai.

According to the probe, a certain Dr Vinod Patel, a wanted accused in the case, approached Shobha Thakur, a resident of Nadiad in Gujarat. Patel offered Thakur a sum of Rs 2 lakh if she agreed to “sell her kidney” at a “Mumbai-based hospital”. Thakur was then brought to Mumbai where she met with Bisen and family members of Jaiswal. The middlemen forged documents to show her to be Rekha, Jaiswal's wife and a resident of South Mumbai.

The police on July 14 arrested the recipient, Brijkishore Jaiswal; the donor Shobha Thakur; Jaiswal’s son, Kishan; and four middle agents — Bharatbhushan Sharma,   Yusuf Diwan,  Iqbal Khan and Baijendra Bisen. A month later, on August 9, the police arrested Dr Suhit Chatteerjee, CEO; Dr Anurag Kamble, medical superintendent; Dr Mukesh Shetye, a nephrologist and two urologists: Dr Prakash Shetty and Dr Mukesh Shah. The police also arrested  transplant coordinator   Nilesh Kamble.