LUCKNOW: A large-scale illegal kidney transplant racket, which originated from Ahuja Hospital in Kanpur, had its tentacles spread across nine hospitals in four cities in Uttar Pradesh, with investigators indicating that a group of ‘flying surgeons’ carried out covert procedures in the dead of night.
Investigations reveal that over 50 kidney transplants were carried out by the doctors involved in the racket, with patients charged between ₹50 lakh and ₹2.5 crore.
It may be recalled that the racket, earlier reported by this paper, came to light after a Bihar-based victim, Ayush, alleged that he was lured into donating his kidney but was paid a sum lower than what had been promised to him.
Following the complaint, police commenced a probe and traced the network, arresting several individuals, including doctors, lab assistants, technicians and drivers, while many still remain absconding.
“Of the total 15 accused, nine have been arrested so far. This includes doctors, hospital owners, and administrative personnel," said a police officer.
Six suspects, among them several doctors, are still on the run. According to police sources, teams are working with authorities in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida and Meerut to trace their movements.
The police investigation revealed that thee medical practitioners-turned-kidney traffickers operated discreetly, carrying out procedures at night and leaving before dawn.
The probe team of Kanpur Police, investigating the kidney transplant racket that had been flourishing in the city for some time, identified a group referred to as the ‘flying surgeons’, comprising medicos engaged in an organised criminal operation.
As per the alleged modus operandi, the doctors in the network would arrive quietly, perform illegal kidney transplants between 3 am and 4 am, and leave without leaving a trace, a senior police officer said.
Surgeries were deliberately scheduled in the early hours at Ahuja Hospital, the hub of the racket in Kanpur. Before the procedures, CCTV cameras were switched off and most of the staff were either sent on leave or kept away from the operation theatre.
According to police sources, CCTV footage from nearby streets showed vehicles entering and leaving quietly, while inside, the operation theatres had no oversight. Hospital entry logs reportedly carried no record of these movements.
Only a select group remained inside the hospital and, within a few hours, a kidney would be removed from a donor and transplanted into a recipient without any official record or legal documentation.
The investigation indicated that the core surgical team did not belong to Kanpur. Dr Rohit, an anaesthesiologist from Noida, played a critical role in managing patients during surgery. He was often accompanied by Delhi-based Dr Mudassir Ali, who performed the transplant, including making the incision, extracting the kidney and implanting it into the recipient.
Experienced OT technicians Rajesh Kumar and Kuldeep Singh from Ghaziabad assisted the doctors in the operation theatre.
According to senior police officers, the team travelled by air to Kanpur, executed the surgery, collected payment and left immediately, often taking different routes to avoid detection. Their visits were brief, their work highly specialised, and their presence barely noticeable.
Each surgery fetched the ‘flying’ team ₹2 lakh to ₹3 lakh, while the total transaction for a kidney transplant ranged between ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh. Doctors involved in the racket were operating like contractors in a black-market supply chain.
According to a senior health department source, it was a structured business model built around human organs.
CCTV footage recovered from surrounding lanes and hospital premises showed staff being sent out in batches and ambulances arriving late at night.
Investigators also seized mobile phones containing Telegram chat records, audio messages and video clips showing donors and patients being coordinated for transplant deals.
The footage also showed patients being transferred between Ahuja Hospital and Medi Life Hospital. Ahuja Hospital, a five-storey facility with 35 beds, served as the operational base.
Owned by Dr Preeti Ahuja and managed by her husband Dr Surjeet Singh Ahuja, the hospital provided the infrastructure, protection and coordination required to run the racket.
While Dr Surjeet allegedly handled backend operations by fixing surgery schedules, coordinating with visiting doctors and deciding payments without leaving evidence, Dr Preeti’s influence in medical circles allegedly added another layer of protection. Holding key positions in prominent associations and institutions, she had the clout to keep regulatory attention at bay.
Behind the scenes, a network of fixers ensured a steady flow of donors and recipients. Donors were offered ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh, while patients were promised immediate transplants without waiting lists.
Once both sides agreed, the network became operational. Dates were fixed, the ‘flying surgeons’ were alerted and the hospital prepared for another late-night procedure.
The operation did not end in the OT. Post-surgery, patients were shifted to other facilities such as Medi Life Hospital or Preeti Hospital, where records were either not maintained or manipulated, making it difficult to trace the procedure back to its source.
As the investigation deepens, the network appears far more extensive than initially believed, spanning multiple cities, including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Prayagraj.
The probe team has also raised doubts over the qualifications of the doctors performing the procedures. “If unqualified hands were performing transplants, it makes the crime even more dangerous and alarming," said a senior police official.
Following the racket being busted, Kanpur Chief Medical Officer Haridatt Nemi sealed Ahuja Hospital to prevent further procedures. Police teams were deployed to trace all connected hospitals, doctors, technicians and middlemen.
Initially, Dr Preeti Ahuja and Dr Surjeet Singh Ahuja, the hospital-owning couple, were arrested for masterminding the illegal transplants and facilitating payments. Ram Prakash Kushwaha, owner of Medi Life Hospital, and Dr Rajesh Kumar, his associate, were taken into custody for handling patient admissions and post-operative care.
Dr Narendra Singh (Nandu), linked to Preeti Hospital, was also arrested, along with other operatives responsible for managing patient flow and hospital logistics.
Police are continuing raids to arrest the absconding accused and trace financial links. Authorities are also examining whether more hospitals and medical professionals were involved.