Bhubaneswar/ Cuttack, June 2: Responding to two recent incidents that took place in the last one month, the health minister today sought a report from director, medical education and training (DMET), in connection with kidney sale racket operating in the state.
The minister’s action followed last night’s arrest of three persons in connection with the kidney sale racket.
“I have sought a status report from the department. Measures will be imitated to curb such incidents once the health secretary submits the report,” said health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.
Those arrested includes Jagabandhu Lenka, whose brother Mohan Chandra Lenka is the recipient of a kidney. He was held after one Namita Nayak alleged that she had been duped by a woman who lured her to donate the organ for a hefty amount. Dillip Nayak, whose wife Sarmistha Nayak is believed to be the kingpin of the racket, has been arrested along with Jagabandhu’s friend Niranjan Parida. Sarmistha has already been arrested in connection with a similar case. The police said Mohan was suffering from kidney disorder and his brother came in contact with Sarmistha, who assured to arrange a kidney for Rs 7 lakh. Later, Sarmistha lured Namita to donate her kidney for Rs10 lakh.
“The accused arranged for a forged voter identity card of Namita Nayak as Namita Lenka. Then they introduced Namita Lenka as the wife of the kidney recipient and got the required approval. The kidney transplantation took place at a Visakhapatnam-based private hospital on April 4,” said police commissioner R.P. Sharma.
However, Namita lodged the complaint when she did not get the promised amount even though Sarmistha had collected Rs 7 lakh in two instalments.
The police have sent a team to Visakhapatnam for further investigation. “We will submit a report to the state health department within a week after our investigation is complete,” said Sharma.
On May 13 the police had arrested Sarmistha as she was found to have lured another woman to donate her kidney in exchange of money. The police had also arrested Nirakar Choudhry, an associate of Sarmistha in connection with the kidney sale racket in the city.
The woman had alleged that she was promised Rs 2.5 lakh for donating her kidney, but she was paid only Rs 50,000 following the transplant at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar in April. The police during their investigation had also found the documents prepared for sale, including the income certificate, were forged.In a related development, the brother-in-law and sister-in-law of the woman, who had lodged the first case related to kidney sale racket, had identified Nirakar Choudhry during a test identification parade in Choudwar jail in Cuttack.
