KANPUR: An alleged illegal kidney transplant racket operating through private hospitals in Kanpur has been busted, with police arresting six people, including a doctor couple, three other doctors, and an ambulance operator.
Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal said the network appears to have links extending beyond Kanpur to cities such as Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and even Nepal. Preliminary investigations suggest that 40–50 illegal transplants may have been carried out through the network.
The case came to light after an MBA student alleged that his kidney was procured for ₹10 lakh and later sold to a patient for ₹60 lakh. He claimed he was paid ₹50,000 less than promised, sparking a dispute that led him to approach the police.
Following the complaint, a joint team raided three private hospitals—Ahuja Hospital, Priya Hospital, and Med Life Hospital—in the Kalyanpur-Rawatpur area. During the raids, officials found both a donor and recipient admitted at one facility, but the hospital allegedly failed to produce valid transplant documentation.
Those arrested include Dr Surjit Singh Ahuja, Dr Preeti Ahuja, Dr Rajesh Kumar, Dr Ram Prakash, Dr Narendra Singh, and ambulance operator Shivam Agrawal. Police recovered medicines and around ₹1.75 lakh in cash during the operation.
Investigators said the racket targeted financially vulnerable individuals, persuading them to sell kidneys at low rates before selling them to patients for significantly higher amounts.
An FIR has been registered under provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police suspect the involvement of at least four more doctors, and further raids are underway.
According to officials, the donor—identified as Ayush from Bihar—was allegedly contacted through a Telegram group and brought to Kanpur, where the deal was finalised. Police said a transplant involving a woman from Muzaffarnagar was recently carried out, with her family allegedly paying ₹60 lakh while the donor received only ₹9.5 lakh.
Authorities also said that after learning of police involvement, hospital staff allegedly shifted the donor and recipient between facilities to avoid detection. Notices have been issued to the hospitals, and their licences may be cancelled pending further investigation.
