KOCHI: The city police have decided to intensify its probe into a kidney racket after a 43-year-old woman was forced to sell her kidney for Rs 8 lakh under undue pressure from her live-in partner two years ago.
As the woman had come forward with a complaint revealing the organ sale deal which was allegedly plotted by the accused, identified as Muhammed Raneesh, 46, of Aluva, who was later arrested, the police have decided to further strengthen the case by making the woman record her statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Police officials said a summons has been issued to the victim to give her statement before the Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court in connection with the crime registered at the Thrikkakara police station. Police officials said the course of the probe will be based on the woman’s statement. Though the police have invoked only Sections 420 and 323 of IPC against the accused as of now, more charges including relevant sections under Human Organ Transplant Act will be levelled against the accused in the due course of the probe.
As per the complaint by the victim identified as Sofia, Raneesh allegedly prepared and arranged all documents including an authorisation letter from an MLA to prove that she was donating the kidney voluntarily. She had said it was Raneesh who convinced her to sell the kidney saying that it would help them tide over financial crisis and promised to marry her.
She had no clue who the kidney recipient was till the date of surgery on April 4, 2019 at a major private hospital in Kochi. She also submitted that the financial deal took place between Raneesh and the recipient’s family and they transferred the amount to the bank account of Raneesh. “I will fully cooperate with the police,” Sofia said.
Meanwhile, police have started collecting details of a few similar organ donation dealings in which the accused was involved in the last two years. “It’s suspected that the accused with the help of another woman used to approach women who were in financial crisis with offers of money if willing to donate kidney. There are some specific agents who also coordinate with private hospitals in the city to identify buyers who are ready to pay huge sums for organs,” said an officer.