Kanpur Kidney Racket: Recovered audio reveals operations across UP

Kanpur: Following a breakthrough in the Kanpur kidney transplant scam, police have recovered a crucial audio recording from the mobile phone of the alleged mastermind, shedding light on the gang’s operations and its network across multiple cities in Uttar Pradesh.  

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the district health department in Meerut has started a separate investigation and issued a notice to a private hospital located on Garh Road, seeking clarification over its alleged involvement in an illegal kidney transplant racket busted in Kanpur. 

Also Read:Meerut Hospital under probe for alleged links to kidney transplant racket

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) SM Qasim Abidi, the recording was sent by the mastermind to a resident of Prayagraj and an associate in the racket. In the clip, the associate mentions a broker, claiming he collected Rs 22 lakh using the mastermind’s name. The mastermind, in response, is heard dismissing the matter, claiming he and the doctor casually handle crores of rupees.

Police teams conducted a raid at the associate’s residence in Prayagraj, but he was not found. Meanwhile, the wife of the mastermind was brought in for questioning at Rawatpur police station, where she disclosed that the associate had long-standing links with the doctor, a Ghaziabad-based figure suspected to be a central player in the racket. She claimed that her husband, the mastermind, had been associated with the doctor for about a year.

Authorities are preparing to approach the district court to seek the mastermind's remand, aiming to deepen the investigation. The recovered audio, believed to date back to December last year, has not yet been made public. So far, 9 people have been arrested in the kidney scam.

The recording also references a woman who died following a kidney transplant. The mastermind mentions that the woman, initially brought to Delhi and admitted to Max Hospital Dwarka, passed away, prompting the associate to question the lack of medical facilities during her transport. Police confirmed she had undergone the transplant at Medilife Hospital in December, after which her condition worsened. A doctor from Kannauj has been taken into custody in connection with her death, while two other doctors remain at large.

Investigators revealed that the broker defrauded a patient of ₹20 lakh. The broker promised a kidney transplant at half the official cost and then absconded with the money. Police are conducting raids in multiple locations to locate him.

None of the gang members identified so far is a surgeon. The network includes doctors, hospital operators, and medical technicians working in different capacities.

Speaking to Bhaskar English, the DCP said that the mastermind’s wife was interrogated for about 6 hours on Friday. During this, she named the manager of Ramashiv Hospital, located opposite Hallet. The manager was in contact with a Ghaziabad-based doctor. When the police interrogated him, he revealed that he had built a private hospital in Lucknow, opposite SGPGI. The doctor had asked him to get a kidney transplant done at his hospital, but he did not undergo the transplant. The operators of Medilife are also being interrogated.

Investigation also revealed that a travel agent booked vehicles under fake names for the gang, transporting the team multiple times for hospital visits. Taxi drivers were paid a nominal rate per kilometre for these trips.

Another doctor linked to Alpha Hospital in Meerut remains absconding; police are actively tracing his location.

DCP Abidi stated that two OT technicians had said during interrogation that they had performed all operations at Ahuja Hospital, but an examination of their mobile phones revealed numbers of several other hospitals in the city. This includes Medilife Hospital located in Maswanpur, reports Bhaskar English.

Also Read:Kanpur Kidney Transplant Racket: Lookout notices issued for four doctors as probe expands