KOCHI: Are organised organ trade rackets rampant in Kerala? Yes, says an inquiry report submitted by the Crime Branch (CB) to the state police chief earlier this week. Based on the report, DGP Loknath Behera has ordered a detailed investigation by a team led by Thrissur CB Superintendent of Police to unearth the role of the members in the racket, which include public servants.
“It is reliably learnt that during the past two years, a number of illegal organ transplantations have happened in violation of the protocol and procedures mentioned in the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA) 1994,” said the report submitted by Crime Branch Inspector General S Sreejith on October 19. “On enquiry, it is also learnt that a number of people have been deceptively induced into donating their organs, mainly kidneys, on payment of money and the same had been received by various people at the behest of agents in violation of the Act.”
The report said a detailed probe was important to expose the conspiracy behind the crime and bring the offenders to book.“To collect evidence and bring the offenders to book, it’s prudent to register an FIR under section 417, 119 and 120 B IPC and 19(a), (b), (c) and (d) of the THOTA against a number of unknown accused, who have effected the transplantation of organs in violation of the Act. A number of people have been cheated and it is also suspected that public servants have also connived with the racket and abetted the crime. They have jointly and severely conspired to commit the crime in violation of the laws,” the report added.
Members of 31 families in Kodungallur were deceived
Kochi: A senior police official told TNIE that the preliminary probe found that one member each from 31 families in a particular region in Kodungallur were deceptively lured to donate their organs, mainly kidney, after offering money.“The donors had no blood relation with the recipients. When inquired, we found that the families belonged to the below poverty line (BPL) category.
A few private hospitals in the state also connived with the racket for organ trade,” the officer said. Meanwhile, an official with the Kerala Network for Organ Sharing (Mrithasanjeevani) said the agency operates in a completely transparent manner and does not handle live organ transplants. Rules stipulate that live organ transplantation should take place only between blood relatives. “The state government had launched the KNOS to promote deceased organ transplantation,”, said KNOS transplant coordinator Vinod Kumar S L.