Pan-India kidney trafficking case: Chandrapur SIT chases high-profile doctors, key accused Kolkata broker

CHANDRAPUR: A four-member special investigation team (SIT) squad from Chandrapur has travelled to Kolkata to trace a key suspect there and examine establishments linked to an alleged kidney trafficking network involving multiple states and prominent medical professionals.

The team departed on Thursday along with victim Roshan Kule, a marginal farmer from Minthur village in Chandrapur's Nagbhid taluka, whose account has become central to uncovering the wider nexus behind illegal transplants.According to sources, the SIT will verify medical tests conducted on Kule at a Kolkata pathology lab and scrutinise the hotel where he stayed before being flown for surgery to Cambodia. The probe, which has expanded significantly over the recent weeks, is now centred on the accused broker from Kolkata and Dr Rajaratnam Govindaswamy, MD of Star KIMS Hospital in Trichy, both sought in connection with the illegal procurement and transplantation of kidneys and are absconding. Investigators say the alleged network involved several top medical professionals. Delhi-based surgeon Dr Ravinder Pal Singh, whose Linked In bio claims he was recommended for Padma Shri award in 2022, was arrested on Dec 29, but a Delhi court granted him interim bail during the hearing for transit remand. He has been ordered to appear before a Chandrapur court on Jan 2.Dr Singh's name cropped up in the call records of Ramkrishna Sunchu alias 'Dr Krishna', arrested in Solapur.

Police sources hint that two more doctors - one with political connections - are being examined for their suspected role. At least four to five more medical practitioners may also be linked to the network, sources said.Two days after Maharashtra police visited Tamil Nadu on Dec 30 to investigate the involvement of a Trichy-based doctor in a kidney trafficking network with suspected links to Cambodia and China, the case has made little progress as TN police have been preoccupied with festivals and holidays. Earlier, Chandrapur police from Maharashtra named two doctors, including Trichy-based Dr Rajarathinam G, who runs Star Kims International Hospital and Research Institute in Trichy, in a case of suspected organ trade. Maharashtra police said several organ transplants were performed at the Trichy hospital that worked with a network of agents, donors, doctors and hospital staff.