ANAND: Three persons, including a quack, were today arrested from different places in Gujarat in connection with an alleged racket in which kidneys of at least 13 people were illegally removed, police said.
The accused, identified as Mukesh Chaudhary alias Mukul, Sherali Khan Pathan alias Sheru, and Rafiq Ahmed Vora were arrested following an FIR against them, Superintendent of Police, Anand, Ashok Kumar Yadav said.
Another accused in the case, Javed, who coordinated the racket from Delhi, has not been arrested yet, Yadav said.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of police was formed to probe the matter after 13 people in Anand claimed that they have become victims of a gang involved in running kidney selling racket, as their body organs were surgically removed.
One of the victims, Amir Malik, who had his kidney removed, said he was taken to a Delhi hospital by the accused where he was made unconscious and had his kidney removed.
Malik said he was threatened to not to speak on the issue or else he will be killed, Yadav said.
Out of the 13 victims, two had their kidneys removed at a Nadiad hospital around 8-10 years ago, while six others were taken to Colombo in Sri lanka to have their kidneys removed illegally.
Remaining five victims were taken to Delhi to get their kidneys removed, Yadav said.
Most of the victims belonged to Pandoli and Changa villages of Petlad taluka of Anand. They had cut marks on their stomach, indicating that their kidneys were surgically removed. They had claimed that a person named Rafiq and some others offered them huge amount of money if they agreed to come with him.
While Mukesh was arrested from Valod in Tapi district, Sherali and Rafiq were arrested from Ahmedabad and Pandoli village in Anand, respectively, he said.
"Mukesh Chaudhary is known as a doctor because he practised ayurvedic medicine without any medical degree. He was the main contact for people who needed kidney. Other two accused Sheru Pathan and Rafiq Vora had sold their kidneys in the past and were in touch with Mukesh. The fourth accused, Javed is not arrested yet," Yadav said.
All the thirteen persons became victims during the last 15 years but remained silent to avoid any trouble, the SP said.