Kidney racket: Lankan doctors make fortune --times of india

HYDERABAD: The three culprits arrested by the Central Crime Station (CCS) police
in the international kidney trafficking case have reportedly sold 21 kidneys in
Colombo (Sri Lanka) in the past few months. The Hyderabad police have alerted t
he Indian High Commission in Colombo about the racket and a special team of CCS
will leave for the island nation to further investigate the case.
The CCS investigators have arrested N Venkatesham, 38, from Chityal in Nalgonda
district, D Shanmukha Pavan Srinivas, 25, an MBA student from BN Reddy Nagar in
Vanasthalipuram, and Govind Suryanarayana alias Surya alias Suresh, 29, from Vij
ayawada.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Hyderabad police commissioner Anu
rag Sharma said the trio had sold their own kidneys in the past and in the proce
ss, they made contacts with doctors in Sri Lanka, who carry out kidney transplan
ts, and then became local agents in Andhra Pradesh to earn easy money. "For supp
lying a kidney donor, the agents received between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh," Anu
rag Sharma said.
The agents would collect the donors' details from internet postings at ineedakid
neynow.org and www.experienceproject.com and, after obtaining their willingness
to donate their kidneys, the culprits would alert the Lankan doctors.
Once the doctor gave the green signal, the agents would make the donor go throug
h basic tests in Andhra Pradesh and, if everything was satisfactory, they would
buy to and fro air tickets for the donor and send him or her to Colombo.
In a similar manner, Venkatesham had sent Dinesh Kumar Maru, 26, from Kothagudem
, Kiran Kumar from Guntur and Aram Zargar (whose details are yet to be known) to
Colombo on March 23. At the time of sending Dinesh and Kiran to Colombo, Venkat
esham promised to pay them Rs 5 lakh each.
After landing in Colombo, the victims were provided accommodation and food by lo
cal agents of the doctors and they were also given some money. On March 28, the
victims went to a beach in Colombo and there Dinesh consumed beer, smoked a lot
of cigarettes and swam in the water for about an hour, the commissioner said.
After having fun, the victims returned to Navaloka hospital where Kiran's kidney
removal surgery was scheduled for the next day. "At Navaloka hospital, Dinesh s
uddenly started vomiting and fell unconscious. Aram Zargar had rushed Dinesh to
the Colombo Government Hospital, where Dinesh was declared brought dead. We do n
ot know whether Dinesh died due to sunstroke or heart attack," the commissioner
said.
Talking to the media, Kiran said that his kidney was removed on March 29 and lat
er he was sent to India. "I was only paid Rs 3.9 lakh by the doctors in Colombo,
" Kiran said. He told police that Aram Zargar's kidney was also removed, but his
details were yet to be ascertained.
After the death of Dinesh, his body was dispatched to Hyderabad by Sri Lankan au
thorities through the Indian High Commission on April 3. After Dinesh's death, h
is family members became suspicious about the Lankan trip and the kidney racket
came to light when his brother Ganesh Kumar opened the formers' email and Facebo
ok accounts.
Based on a complaint by Ganesh, CCS sleuths had registered a case and nabbed Ven
katesham and Shanmuka Srinivas. Armed with the information provided by them, pol
ice nabbed the third accused, Suryanarayana from Vijayawada, on Monday. Among th
e trio, Suryanarayana's role was to scare donors by posing as a cop and also mak
e arrangements for Venkatesham and Srinivas to leave the country for a short per
iod in case of any trouble from local law enforcement agencies.
"In the past few months, Srinivas had sent 15 donors and Venkatesham six to Sri
Lanka. We are yet to get their full details," Anurag Sharma said. While the doct
ors in Sri Lanka would collect anywhere between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 50 lakh for ea
ch transplant, they would pay only Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh to Indian brokers an
d up to Rs 5 lakh to the donors.
"The Lankan doctors would arrange kidney transplant surgeries at Colombo hospita
ls like Western Hospital, Navaloka hospital, Hemas hospital and Lanka Hospital.
We have informed both the Sri Lankan High Commission in India and Indian High Co
mmission in Colombo about the kidney racket. A special team of CCS sleuths will
leave for Colombo to further probe the matter. Our special teams are also workin
g at other locations in the country to nab more such gangs," Anurag Sharma said.
Apart from AP, similar gangs are said to be operating from Mumbai, Pune, Kuruksh
etra in Haryana, Ahmedabad and Bhubaneshwar.
Hyderabad: Police probing kidney racket after man's death in Sri Lanka
Cities | Press Trust of India | Updated: April 16, 2014 20:17 IST
Hyderabad: Police today launched an investigation into a suspected Colombo-base
d kidney racket following death of a 26-year-old Hyderabad youth in Sri Lanka.
One Ganesh, brother of the deceased Dinesh Kumar Maru, filed a complaint with Ce
ntral Crime Station (CCS), a wing of the Hyderabad Police, alleging that his bro
ther died due to removal of kidney from his body in Colombo on March 30, a senio
r police official supervising the probe told PTI in Hyderabad.
Dinesh, a resident of Kishanbagh in Hyderabad, had gone to Colombo for a job on
March 22 and called up his family members here saying that he was in the Sri Lan
kan capital along with two others, police said.
However, on March 30, the Sri Lankan police informed Ganesh that his brother was
dead and that he can collect his body from the Colombo general hospital.
The body was subsequently brought to Hyderabad on April 3 after Ganesh contacted
the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka and the last rites were also conducted.
"The autopsy report had stated cardiac arrest as the reason behind Dinesh's deat
h. However, the complainant suspected this version saying that his brother was o
nly 26 years old.
"He had verified his account on a social media site and email accounts, which pu
rportedly mentioned conversation on kidney transplantation issue his brother had
with one person who had offered him a job in Colombo," the official explained.
Ganesh suspected that a kidney racket led to his brother's death and lodged a co
mplaint with CCS Police, which has taken up the investigation.
"We have begun checking Dinesh's cell phone call details, his account on the soc
ial networking site and also his email accounts on the alleged conversation whic
h stated of offering Rs. 15 lakh for sale of kidney, besides to and fro fare to
Colombo, free accommodation under the guise of a job offer," the official said.
Only after a thorough probe into the matter it will be known whether the kidney
was removed and if it was the cause of Dinesh's death, he added.

Lanka police reject kidney racket behind Indian's death
Press Trust of India | Colombo April 19, 2014 Last Updated at 20:08 IST
Sri Lankan police today rejected reports of a suspected kidney racket behind the
death of a 26-year-old Indian, saying he died of heart failure.
Police in Hyderabad were probing a suspected Colombo- based kidney racket follow
ing death of Dinesh, who had arrived here looking for a job late last month but
died days later, media reports said.
His family had alleged foul play behind his death after accessing his conversati
on on social media and emails he had with an agent who offered him a job in Colo
mbo following a kidney transplantation.
"This young man from Andhra Pradesh in South India had died due to a blocked art
ery. So it was a case of heart failure," police spokesman and Superintendent Aji
th Rohana said.
"Both his kidneys were found to be in good order according to medical tests," Ro
hana added.
He said the investigations carried out by the central Colombo's Maradana police
had pointed to no racket whatsoever.
"If people can come up with information on a kidney transplant racket, the polic
e will investigate them," he said.
A media report said exploiting desperate patients in need of immediate kidney tr
ansplant and healthy individuals caught in financial hardships, an international
organ trafficking mafia is luring people into buying and selling kidneys for hu
ge amounts.
The racket is thriving in South Asian countries like Sri Lanka, it said.
FB used in Sri Lankan kidney racket
---colombo cazzette
The alleged international kidney racket, which came under the police radar follo
wing the death of an Indian youngster in Sri Lanka, has been using Facebook and
other social networking sites to identify victims, the Deccan Chronicle reported
.
Kishanbagh resident, Dinesh Maroo, who died in Colombo allegedly after a kidney
transplant, had at least six Facebook friends with whom he had discussed kidney
donation in the past.
One of them, named Nv Kidney had also had an e-mail correspondence with Dinesh, wh
o sent his passport copy and ID proof to him, probably for visa and air tickets,
his family members said.
Meanwhile, CCS police has taken few people into custody from Andhra Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu in connection with the case. Officials said that they had traced the
persons who were in touch with victims through email and Facebook.
The police has also tracked two other victims who went to Colombo with Dinesh on
March 22. One of them has also undergone a kidney transplant in a Lankan hospit
al. The racketeers had called the victims to Colombo with job offers, said polic
e sources.
The Facebook friends of Dinesh have accounts under false names and have uploaded
statuses seeking attention of people for kidney donation. The scam attracts vic
tims through these status messages and then convinces them over chat and email c
orrespondence.
The racketeers have also given advertisements on the internet. CCS police offici
als said that they were investigating a nexus active on social networking sites.
Chat details of Dinesh reveal that the racketeers, who also claim to be medical
doctors, had convinced the victims that they would not face any physical trouble
after the transplant, and had offered lakhs of rupees as compensation. They had
chosen Sri Lanka for the operation to avoid police surveillance, sources added.
(Colombo Gazette)
Indian police probing kidney racket after mans death in Sri Lanka: racketeers use
d Facebook
Apr 18, 2014 Kavinthan Shanmugarajah Local, news first
The alleged international kidney racket, which came under the police radar follo
wing the death of a city youngster in Sri Lanka, has been using Facebook and oth
er social networking sites to identify victims.
Kishanbagh resident, Dinesh Maroo, who died in Colombo allegedly after a kidney
transplant, had at least six Facebook friends with whom he had discussed kidney
donation in the past.
One of them, named Nv Kidney had also had an e-mail correspondence with Dinesh, wh
o sent his passport copy and ID proof to him, probably for visa and air tickets,
his family members said.
Meanwhile, CCS police has taken few people into custody from Andhra Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu in connection with the case. Officials said that they had traced the
persons who were in touch with victims through email and Facebook.
The police has also tracked two other victims who went to Colombo with Dinesh on
March 22. One of them has also undergone a kidney transplant in a Lankan hospit
al. The racketeers had called the victims to Colombo with job offers, said polic
e sources.
The Facebook friends of Dinesh have accounts under false names and have uploaded
statuses seeking attention of people for kidney donation. The scam attracts vic
tims through these status messages and then convinces them over chat and email c
orrespondence.
The racketeers have also given advertisements on the internet. CCS police offici
als said that they were investigating a nexus active on social networking sites.
Chat details of Dinesh reveal that the racketeers, who also claim to be medical
doctors, had convinced the victims that they would not face any physical trouble
after the transplant, and had offered lakhs of rupees as compensation. They had
chosen Sri Lanka for the operation to avoid police surveillance, sources added.
-Deccanchronicle
Lanka Awaits Info On Kidney Racket
By Waruni Karunarathne
The police have not received any information about the alleged kidney racket sai
d to be taking place in Sri Lanka.
Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana told The Sunday Leader that the police have no
t received any complaints or information about a kidney racket in Sri Lanka.
He said that, while several journalists had made inquiries from him about the ma
tter, the Indian police had not yet communicated the incident to the local polic
e.
The Indian police have expressed suspicions of an alleged international kidney r
acket operating in Sri Lanka after an Indian national had died after allegedly s
elling his kidney. The Indian media quoted the Indian police as saying that the
racketeers had been using Facebook and other social networking sites to identify
the potential victims.
Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake told The Sunday Leader that the Minist
ry was not aware about a kidney racket operating in the country.
We have a procedure to carry out kidney transplants in Sri Lanka. The donor has t
o be a relative and donate the kidney free of charge. Several other regulations
need to be met before carrying out a kidney transplant, Dissanayake said.
He added that both public and private practices are bound by these rules and reg
ulations stated under the Tissue Transplant Act. Kidney transplants should be sp
ecifically approved by a committee appointed to take decisions related to kidney
transplants.
He added that, if anybody was carrying out illegal transplants in Sri Lanka, the
Ministry of Health will take measures to file legal action against them.
SL police reject kidney racket behind Indian's death
SUNDAY, 20 APRIL 2014 09:21 E-mail Print
Sri Lankan police rejected reports of a suspected kidney racket behind the death
of a 26-year-old Indian, saying he died of heart failure.
Police in Hyderabad were probing a suspected Colombo- based kidney racket follow
ing death of Dinesh, who had arrived here looking for a job late last month but
died days later, media reports said.
His family had alleged foul play behind his death after accessing his conversati
on on social media and emails he had with an agent who offered him a job in Colo
mbo following kidney transplantation.
"This young man from Andhra Pradesh in South India had died due to a blocked art
ery. So it was a case of heart failure," police spokesman and Superintendent Aji
th Rohana said.
"Both his kidneys were found to be in good order according to medical tests," Ro
hana added.
He said the investigations carried out by the central Colombo's Maradana police
had pointed to no racket whatsoever.
"If people can come up with information on a kidney transplant racket, the polic
e will investigate them," he said.
A media report said exploiting desperate patients in need of immediate kidney tr
ansplant and healthy individuals caught in financial hardships, an international
organ trafficking mafia is luring people into buying and selling kidneys for hu
ge amounts.
The racket is thriving in South Asian countries like Sri Lanka, it said.(PTI)
Hyderabad: Police probing kidney racket after man's death in Sri Lanka
Cities | Press Trust of India | Updated: April 16, 2014 20:17 IST
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Hyderabad: Police today launched an investigation into a suspected Colombo-base
d kidney racket following death of a 26-year-old Hyderabad youth in Sri Lanka.
One Ganesh, brother of the deceased Dinesh Kumar Maru, filed a complaint with Ce
ntral Crime Station (CCS), a wing of the Hyderabad Police, alleging that his bro
ther died due to removal of kidney from his body in Colombo on March 30, a senio
r police official supervising the probe told PTI in Hyderabad.
Dinesh, a resident of Kishanbagh in Hyderabad, had gone to Colombo for a job on
March 22 and called up his family members here saying that he was in the Sri Lan
kan capital along with two others, police said.
However, on March 30, the Sri Lankan police informed Ganesh that his brother was
dead and that he can collect his body from the Colombo general hospital.
The body was subsequently brought to Hyderabad on April 3 after Ganesh contacted
the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka and the last rites were also conducted.
"The autopsy report had stated cardiac arrest as the reason behind Dinesh's deat
h. However, the complainant suspected this version saying that his brother was o
nly 26 years old.
"He had verified his account on a social media site and email accounts, which pu
rportedly mentioned conversation on kidney transplantation issue his brother had
with one person who had offered him a job in Colombo," the official explained.
Ganesh suspected that a kidney racket led to his brother's death and lodged a co
mplaint with CCS Police, which has taken up the investigation.
"We have begun checking Dinesh's cell phone call details, his account on the soc
ial networking site and also his email accounts on the alleged conversation whic
h stated of offering Rs. 15 lakh for sale of kidney, besides to and fro fare to
Colombo, free accommodation under the guise of a job offer," the official said.
Only after a thorough probe into the matter it will be known whether the kidney
was removed and if it was the cause of Dinesh's death, he added.
City police investigating Sri Lankan kidney racket
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City police are investigating into allegations of a Colombo-based kidney racket
in which a youngster from Hyderabad lost a life.
A criminal case under Information Technology Act was registered after Ganesh, br
other of Dileep Maaru, approached the Hyderabad Central Crime Station alleging t
hat his brother died in Colombo because of a kidney racket. A resident of Kishan
Bagh in old city, Maaru left his house on March 22 telling his family members t
hat he was going to Visakhapatnam in search of a job.
Six days later, he rang up his family in Hyderabad stating that he had actually
landed in Colombo to find a job. "He said that two other youngsters were accompa
nying him then", Mr. Ganesh told the police.
Meanwhile on March 30, Maaru's family received a telephone call from Sri Lanka p
olice stating that Maaru died and his body was shifted to local Government hospi
tal. The police reportedly said that he died of heart attack.
With the help of Indian Government, Maaru's family got the body flown into Hyder
abad on April 3 and performed his final rites. "However, it haunted my mind why
my brother in mid-20s died of heart attack. While checking his emails I found so
me persons communicating with him through emails about purchasing his kidney," h
e told the police.
According to CCS DCP Pala Raju, the persons communicating with Maaru offered him
Rs 15 lakh if he agreed to sell his kidney. They also offered free to and fro a
ir tickets, free accommodation and also assured to arrange passport and visa.
"We cannot say if his kidney was removed and if Maaru died after or during surge
ry. Based on email content, a case was registered," he said. Police are analysin
g those emails and Maaru's mobile phone call data record.--hindu
Indian police are investigating into allegations of a Colombo-based kidney racke
t in which a youngster from Hyderabad lost a life, Indian media reports.

A criminal case under Information Technology Act was registered after Ganesh, br
other of Dileep Maaru, approached the Hyderabad Central Crime Station alleging t
hat his brother died in Colombo because of a kidney racket. A resident of Kishan
Bagh in old city, Maaru left his house on March 22 telling his family members t
hat he was going to Visakhapatnam in search of a job.

Six days later, he rang up his family in Hyderabad stating that he had actually
landed in Colombo to find a job. He said that two other youngsters were accompany
ing him then, Mr. Ganesh told the police.

Meanwhile on March 30, Maarus family received a telephone call from Sri Lanka pol
ice stating that Maaru died and his body was shifted to local Government hospita
l. The police reportedly said that he died of heart attack.

With the help of Indian Government, Maarus family got the body flown into Hyderab
ad on April 3 and performed his final rites. However, it haunted my mind why my b
rother in mid-20s died of heart attack. While checking his emails I found some p
ersons communicating with him through emails about purchasing his kidney, he told
the police.

According to CCS DCP Pala Raju, the persons communicating with Maaru offered him
Rs 15 lakh if he agreed to sell his kidney. They also offered free to and fro a
ir tickets, free accommodation and also assured to arrange passport and visa.

We cannot say if his kidney was removed and if Maaru died after or during surgery
. Based on email content, a case was registered, he said. Police are analysing th
ose emails and Maarus mobile phone call data record, The Hindu reports.ada derana
City Police Bust Colombo Kidney Racket; 3 Agents Held
By Express News Service - HYDERABAD Published: 23rd April 2014 09:36 AM Last Upd
ated: 23rd April 2014 09:36 AM
Email2
A nexus between kidney agents in the city and doctors in Sri Lanka was busted by
the Hyderabad police, which has been investigating the death of a city youth in
Sri Lanka. However, the death of Dinesh Maru in Sri Lanka was due to cardiac ar
rest, confirmed the police.
The Central Crime Station arrested three agents - N Venkatesham (38), a computer
hardware expert from Nalgonda, DSP Srinivas (25), an MBA student from Vanasthal
ipuram and Govind Suryanarayana (29) from Vijayawada.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, police commissioner Anurag Sharma
said the trio allegedly facilitated the sale of kidneys. The trio had allegedly
sent at least 21 persons to Colombo from Hyderabad. Sometimes the donor victims
become agents on return. According to him, the gang has several agents operatin
g in cities like Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, Kurukshetra apart from H
yderabad.
Detailing the case, which stemmed from a complaint lodged by one Ganesh, brother
of the deceased Dinesh (who had email
conversations with the agents on kidney transplantation) suspected that his brot
hers death was due to the kidney racket, the commissioner said the agents collect
donors details from internet postings and used to inform a Sri Lankan doctor, wh
o arranged for flight tickets, accommodation and surgeries at some selected hosp
itals, Sharma said.
After settling a package with needy patients for Rs 30-Rs 50 lakh, the doctor us
ed to pay only Rs 3-Rs 5 lakh to the donor while Rs 1.5 lakh to agents as their
commission, he said.
In this case, Dinesh had approached Venkatesham, who promised him Rs 5 lakh and
accordingly he, along with one Kiran Kumar, left for Colombo on March 23. Kiran
was also to sell his kidney along with Dinesh as per the deal, Sharma said.
On March 28, the duo along with another Indian Aram Zargar, who had undergone kidn
ey surgery and got discharged went to the beach where Dinesh consumed beer, smok
ed heavily and swam in the sea. On the next day Dinesh and Kiran went to the hos
pital where Kiran was to be admitted for surgery, the police chief said.
But on reaching the hospital, Dinesh fell sick. He was then rushed to Colombo Gov
ernment Hospital for treatment but on reaching there the doctors declared him br
ought dead, Sharma said. Kiran Kumar hails from Chintalakodi in West Godavari dis
trict.
He along with Dinesh and Aram Zargar (from Kashmir) travelled to Colombo from Ch
ennai on April 23. He confirmed that Dinesh died even before a surgery was perfo
rmed on him. Though a case under the Information Technology Act was registered,
various sections of the AP Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1995 have also b
een added. indian express
Indian Police probe Lankan kidney racketBy Daily Nation on April 16, 2014 / 2,
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Investigations have been launched by Indian police into allegations of a Colombo
based kidney racket that had resulted in a youth from Hyderabad losing his life
, The Hindu reported.
According to reports, a criminal case under Information Technology Act was regis
tered at the Hyderabad Central Crime Station, after a complaint was lodged by Ga
nesh, alleging that his brother Dileep Maaru had died in Colombo because of a ki
dney racket.
The Hindu stated that Maaru, a resident of Kishan Bagh, left his house on March
22 stating that he was going to Visakhapatnam in search of employment. However,
the family had received a call from Maaru six days later that he, along with som
e friends, had landed in Sri Lanka in search of a job.
On March 30, the family had received a telephone call from the Sri Lanka police
stating that Maaru had died and his body had been shifted to a local Government
hospital. The police had reportedly said that he died of heart attack.
With the help of Indian Government, Maarus family got the body flown into Hyderab
ad on April 3 and performed his final rites. However, it haunted my mind why my b
rother in mid-20s died of heart attack. While checking his emails I found some p
ersons communicating with him through emails about purchasing his kidney, he told
the police.
According to CCS DCP Pala Raju, the persons communicating with Maaru offered him
Rs 15 lakh if he agreed to sell his kidney. They also offered free to and fro a
ir tickets, free accommodation and also assured to arrange passport and visa, Th
e Hindu report further said.
We cannot say if his kidney was removed and if Maaru died after or during surgery
. Based on email content, a case was registered, he said. Police are analysing th
ose emails and Maarus mobile phone call data record.
As of today, the Sri Lankan Police are yet to be notified of the issue. Police S
pokesperson, SSP Ajith Rohana told the Daily Nation that they had no information
of such a racket in Colombo and added that the Indian Police had not contacted
them on this matter. We have not received any information on the matter, he said.
Submit to StumbleUponShare nation
Hyderabad City police are investigating into allegations of a Colombo-based kidn
ey racket in which a youngster from Hyderabad lost a life.
A criminal case under Information Technology Act was registered after Ganesh, br
other of Dileep Maaru, approached the Hyderabad Central Crime Station alleging t
hat his brother died in Colombo because of a kidney racket. A resident of Kishan
Bagh in old city, Maaru left his house on March 22 telling his family members t
hat he was going to Visakhapatnam in search of a job.
Six days later, he rang up his family in Hyderabad stating that he had actually
landed in Colombo to find a job. "He said that two other youngsters were accompa
nying him then", Ganesh told the police.
Meanwhile on March 30, Maaru's family received a telephone call from Sri Lanka p
olice stating that Maaru died and his body was shifted to local Government hospi
tal. The police reportedly said that he died of heart attack.
With the help of Indian Government, Maaru's family got the body flown into Hyder
abad on April 3 and performed his final rites. "However, it haunted my mind why
my brother in mid-20s died of heart attack. While checking his emails I found so
me persons communicating with him through emails about purchasing his kidney," h
e told the police.
According to CCS DCP Pala Raju, the persons communicating with Maaru offered him
Rs 15 lakh if he agreed to sell his kidney. They also offered free to and fro a
ir tickets, free accommodation and also assured to arrange passport and visa.
"We cannot say if his kidney was removed and if Maaru died after or during surge
ry. Based on email content, a case was registered," he said. Police are analysin
g those emails and Maaru's mobile phone call data record. (The Hindu) asian mirr
or
Lax laws help kidney racket thrive in South Asia
Published : 12:04 am April 22, 2014 | 87 views | No comments so far | P
rint This Post | E-mail to friend
Times of India (Hyderabad): Exploiting desperate patients in need of immediate k
idney transplant and healthy individuals caught in financial hardships, an inter
national organ trafficking mafia is luring people into buying and selling kidney
s for huge amounts. The racket is thriving in South Asian countries like Sri Lan
ka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore and Malaysia where laws against organ donati
on are not very stringent, police sources said.
In India, kidneys can only be donated to a person with renal failure by his fami
ly members or relatives. The sale of kidney is strictly prohibited and it was to
prevent illegal practices that the Centre enacted the Transplant of Human Organ
s Act in 1994. The latest kidney transplant racket came to light in Hyderabad wh
en 26-year-old Dinesh Kumar, a private employee from Kothagudem, was found dead
in Colombo on 30 March.
Dinesh, who wanted make some quick money to get out of financial problems, decid
ed to sell one of his kidneys and began scouting on the web for a contact. He fo
und several agents and finally struck a deal through one Prashant Seth of Bangal
ore for Rs. 15 lakhs. The agents then sent Dinesh to Colombo and also paid him a
n advance amount. But before the kidney transplant could occur, Dinesh died due
to ill health. Enquiries conducted by his family members later revealed the exis
tence of the kidney transplant racket.
Central Crime Station sleuths, who are probing the case, have begun already pick
ed up three suspects. They revealed during interrogation that people in need of
money from India are being lured into selling their kidney and then taken to cou
ntries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore and Malaysia, where the p
atient would be waiting for a transplant. Pakistan is a low cost country, but due
to stringent visa rules, only a few patients go there. In fact, in Pakistan, it
takes about Rs. 20 to 25 lakhs for a transplant, which is cheaper than anywhere
else in the world, a CCS official said.
The next best country for a patient looking for a transplant is Sri Lanka due to
plethora of private hospitals doing the transplants and availability of donors fr
om India. Transplants in Malaysia and Singapore are on the costly side at about
Rs. 50 to Rs. 70 lakhs.
Only 1% of the patients diagnosed with renal failure get a kidney transplant in I
ndia annually. The organ trafficking mafia is exploiting this situation by lurin
g poor donors with a promise of paying up to Rs. 15 lakhs. The transplant is bei
ng carried out in various South Asian countries.
We are questioning several suspects and the kingpin will be nabbed soon, CCS DCP G
. Pala Raju said.
Hyderabadi's death in Sri Lanka: AP police probing kidney racket
Hyderabad, apr 16 : Andhra Pradesh Police today launched an investigation into a
suspected Colombo-based kidney racket following a death of Hyderabad-based yout
h in Sri Lanka.

Based on a complaint filed by one Ganesh, brother of the deceased Dinesh Kumar M
aru with Central Crime Station (CCS) here, alleging that his brother died due to
removal of kidney from his body in colombo on March 30, a case was registered a
nd probing is on, according to a top police official here tonight.
The 26-year-old Dinesh, a resident of Kishanbagh in Hyderabad, left for Colombo
for a job on March 22 and called up his family members here saying that he was i
n the Sri Lankan capital along with two others, police said.
However, on March 30, the Sri Lankan police informed Ganesh that his brother was
dead and that he can collect his body from the Colombo general hospital.
The body was subsequently brought to Hyderabad on April 3 after Ganesh contacted
the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka and the last rites were also conducted.
"The autopsy report had stated cardiac arrest as the reason behind Dinesh's deat
h. However, the complainant suspected this version saying that his brother was o
nly 26 years old.
Ganesh, who suspected that a kidney racket led to his brother's death, lodged a
complaint with CCS Police, which has taken up the investigation.
Only after a thorough probe into the matter, will be known whether the kidney wa
s removed or not, the police official added.
--UNI (Posted on 17-04-2014)kerala
Sri Lanka a hub for kidney racketeers
FRIDAY, 18 APRIL 2014 13:28 2 COMMENTS E-MAIL| PRINT |PDF
The death, in Colombo, of an Indian youth who had undergone a kidney removal sur
gery has exposed that Sri Lanka has become a hub for kidney racketeers. Dinesh
Maroo, a resident of Kishanbadh died after a surgery to remove a kidney.
The racketeers identifying donors through Facebook and e-mail have enticed the vic
tims to donate kidneys by promising money and jobs. The racketeers get the surge
ry done in Sri Lanka to avoid Indian Police.
According to information two others have come to Colombo on 22nd March with Dine
sh to donate kidneys. Indian Police say those who posed as Dineshs Facebook friends w
ere racketeers and those who have posed as doctors have convinced Dinesh that he
would not face any physical trouble after the transplant.
Indian Police has also tracked two other victims who went to Colombo with Dinesh
on 22nd March. One of them has also undergone a kidney transplant in a hospital
here.lanka truth