Kanpur Kidney Transplant Racket: Fake doctor with Class 12 education arrested

Kanpur: In a recent development in the illegal organ trade case, Kanpur police have arrested the alleged mastermind operating a kidney transplant racket across multiple districts. The network reportedly involved middlemen, medical professionals, and healthcare facilities.

According to the news reports, the accused, a 34-year-old man from Hardoi, with education upto Class XII, was arrested on Monday after evading police for weeks. Police had earlier announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to his arrest. Officials said he played a central role in running the racket by posing as a doctor and coordinating between donors, recipients, hospitals, and surgeons.

Also Read:Kanpur illegal Kidney transplant racket spans 9 hospitals across 4 cities

Speaking to the Indian Express, police said during questioning, the mastermind admitted to facilitating more than 30 transplant procedures. “The accused is believed to be the mastermind of the racket, with his primary role being coordination. Every member of the syndicate was in contact with him,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kanpur, S M Qasim Abidi.

According to police officials, the accused had been reportedly involved in illegal transplant activities since 2018 and had previously worked at a hospital in Meerut. He allegedly coordinated with a Meerut-based team, which travelled to Kanpur to perform surgeries at different hospitals.

The team is believed to include a doctor who conducted the transplants, along with assistants. The mastermind reportedly decided the location of each surgery and selected the hospitals where procedures would be carried out.

The racket came to light in late March following intelligence inputs about suspicious transplant activities. A joint operation by police and health department officials led to raids in the Kalyanpur–Rawatpur areas of Kanpur on March 29 and 30.

So far, several individuals have been arrested, including doctors and two operating theatre technicians. Investigators suspect that one hospital served as a key hub, where at least seven to eight illegal transplants were conducted.

Police are now attempting to recover the mastermind’s mobile phone, which is expected to provide crucial evidence about the scale and operations of the racket. Officials are preparing to seek his custody remand for further interrogation.

The investigation also highlighted the role of the mastermind’s close associate, an ambulance operator who allegedly handled local logistics and helped identify potential donors.

Kanpur Police had written to the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of four districts — Meerut, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, and Kanpur — seeking verification of hospitals that surfaced during the probe. Police identified nearly a dozen hospitals across these districts that may have been directly or indirectly linked to the network, reports the Indian Express.

Also Read:Kanpur Kidney Racket: Recovered audio reveals operations across UP