Fortis Hospital Nephrologist, Urologist arrested in organ transplant NOC forgery case
Jaipur: In connection with a fraudulent case involving the issuance of fake No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for organ transplants, a nephrologist Dr Jitendra Goswami and a urologist Dr Sandeep Gupta of Fortis Hospital have been arrested after police found evidence of their direct involvement.
Police said that the nephrologist of the Fortis Hospital, Jaipur Dr Jitendra Goswami and the urologist Dr Sandeep Gupta have been arrested under sections 419, 420, 471, 370, 120-B of IPC.
With Saturday's latest development, the number of arrests in the case has now reached 13 over the past two months.
According to a PTI report, The Rajasthan government on Tuesday relieved Dr Rajeev Bagrahatta, Principal of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College and Dr Achal Sharma, Superintendent of the SMS Hospital, from their posts with immediate effect in the case of fake no objection certificate (NOC) for organ transplant.
Medical Dialogues team recently reported that in the fake No Objection Certificate (NOC) case involving organ transplants, Dr Sudhir Bhandari, vice-chancellor of Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS), resigned voluntarily.
Also Read:Fake Organ Transplant NOC Case: RUHS Vice Chancellor Dr Sudhir Bhandari resigns
Along with this, Dr Sudhir Bhandari was removed from the post of Chairman of the Steering Committee constituted for the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTO) with immediate effect. Bhandari also resigned from the post of Vice Chancellor of the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) on Thursday.
The Jaipur Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) team arrested three hospital employees in this case. The three accused were identified as an administrative officer of the government-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital and transplant coordinators of two leading private hospitals- EHCC Hospital and Fortis Hospital.
According to the Deputy Inspector General of Police (ACB), Ravi, the accused were caught red-handed at the hospital while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 70,000 for issuing NOC for organ transplants.
According to a statement released by the ACB, a complaint was received that fake NOCs for organ transplantation were being issued by an employee posted at SMS Hospital in collusion with the middlemen, without obtaining approval from the committee concerned.
As per a media report in the HT, a senior police official familiar with the matter said, “We have found some evidence that they were probably in direct touch with the middlemen and co-ordinators arrested before. Multiple transactions might have also taken place among them. However, we cannot disclose much at this moment. More doctors are on our radar and might be arrested soon in the next few days. Further investigation is underway”.
Following a four-hour interrogation on Saturday morning, the arrests of the two doctors were made. Their names surfaced during the questioning of Fortis's male nurse, Bhanu Pratap, who was apprehended the previous day.
“It was found that Pratap, a native of Baran district, used to keep the donors and receivers in a rented accommodation near the hospital and was also in touch with the two doctors, the hospital’s organ transplant co-ordinators, and also some middlemen of the Med Safar Private Limited,” said an officer.
On April 1, an Anti-corruption Bureau team had arrested three people for taking bribe in lieu of issuing No Objection Certificate (NOC) in connection with organ transplant. It is alleged that these accused were issuing fake NOC by taking money. After this, action was taken against some private hospitals of Jaipur.
“We affirm our commitment to the Procedures (SOPs) set by SOTTO for all transplant operations, ensuring compliance with required approvals from relevant domestic and international authorities. We are awaiting clarity from the relevant authorities on this matter. We have cooperated fully with the authorities throughout the investigation and will continue to do so in the future,” Fortis said in a statement.
