Chennai doctor did 1,000 illegal kidney transplants: Police
 
October 16, 2007 22:13 IST

At least 1,000 kidney transplants could have been conducted as part of the international racket run by Chennai nephrologist Palani Ravichandran, the Mumbai police said on Tuesday.

"We raided the residence of Ravichandran along with the Income Tax officials and recovered Rs 55 lakh and various other documents," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria said adding, one such register mentions that 476 surgeries were done at the Bharati Raja Hospital in Chennai itself.

"Moreover, the accused arrested by us have given 741 names," Maria said. The racket was busted by the Mumbai crime branch last week after the arrest of five people, including Ravichandran.

The police earlier said that Ravichandran would make at least Rs 10 lakh per surgery. Maria said an Italian website also has a mention of Ravichandran as a person who does transplants, adding that the State Human Rights Commission in Tamil Nadu registered a case against him in February this year after a donor's wife registered a complaint against the surgeon.

The donors in the racket used to hail from India, Nepal and Myanmar while the recipients were also from Malaysia and West Asia. Meanwhile, all the five accused were booked under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 after consultation with the state health department, Maria said.

A panel of doctors, who would conduct the surgeries at the three hospitals in Chennai, has also been summoned by the police in connection of the case.

url : http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/oct/16kidney.htm