Organ transplant scam unearthed, detailed probe on

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Police have identified a mafia operating in the organ transplant sector in the state and a detailed probe has been ordered into the matter, officials said on Friday.

Inspector General of Police (Crime) S.Sreejith, after being tipped off about a racket in kidney transplants, conducted a probe in Thrissur where he found out that in one particular colony, numerous people had donated their kidneys, and the donated kidneys were given to various places in the state, where the donors had no contacts.

What was even more surprising was that the majority of kidney transplants had taken place in non-approved hospitals. In the state, 35 hospitals have been approved to carry out kidney transplant surgeries.

Sreejith's probe also found out that huge sums of money was also involved in these transplants and this was done with the alleged connivance of even government officials.

After he submitted his report to the state police chief, a detailed probe into all the transplants done in the state in the past two years has been ordered and would be conducted by a special team led by Superintendent of Police, K.S. Sudarshan.