H.L. Nandeesh, inspector of police, Magadi, investigating the illegal renal transplant case at Fortis Hospital, has said that during 2013-15, at least six illegal renal transplants were carried out at the hospital using forged documents through a gang of touts arrested earlier.
According to the police, the arrest of Syed Wajahatullah, a transplant coordinator at the Seshadripuram hospital, may just be a first in a series of arrests of private hospital employees involved in the racket. Police sources said the Call Detail Records (CDR) of the arrested touts revealed that they were in touch with various transplant co-ordinators and other employees of private hospitals in Bengaluru and Mysuru, where they allegedly arranged for illegal transplants.
The interrogation of the arrested touts also reportedly revealed that Vinod, a member of the State-level authorisation committee for organ transplants, was involved in the ring and gave clearances to cases with forged documents. The Magadi Police recently arrested Vinod, who is now out on bail.
Meanwhile, Fortis Hospital, Seshadripuram, in a statement said, “As part of the investigation and being a responsible and a reputed institution, we are obliging the law and extending our support to the authorities.”
