Visakhapatnam: In a major development into the sensational multi-state kidney racket exposed at the Alaknanda Hospital in Telangana, police have arrested a Chennai-based doctor for his alleged role in the racket, officials said.
It is learnt that the doctor Rajasekhar Perumal was arrested on Sunday for his critical role in the racket. Sources associated with the investigation of the case said that the arrested doctor has been conducting illegal kidney transplants for the past two years.
Rajasekhar was previously arrested in another kidney racket case in Visakhapatnam where one Pawan orchestrated the racket. Pawan allegedly handled everything from selecting donors and recipients to coordinating with doctors and hospitals as per sources. Besides Pawan, police have identified two more accused Poorna, and Laxman linked to the illegal kidney transplant racket, sources said.
Police suspect that Rajasekhar and Pawan resumed their illegal activities in Hyderabad after their earlier release. It is feared Pawan may have fled abroad to evade arrest. The police are delving into the role of lab technicians who may have assisted the gang during its operations in Visakhapatnam.
The kidney racket in Visakhapatnam came to light in 2023 when a victim alleged that his kidney was removed illegally at a hospital in Pendurthi, leading to the arrest of more than ten accused. However, the case lost momentum after the transfer of then Commissioner of Police Trivikrama Verma.
Police investigations have also revealed that the surgeries were performed in small hospitals not only in Hyderabad, but major cities across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Rachakonda Police have deployed teams to track down the accused in multiple states. In Hyderabad's Saroornagar, where the kidney racket was uncovered at the Alakananda hospital, police have filed a petition to take doctors Sumanth and Avinash, along with paramedical staff currently in remand, into custody for further interrogation.
The Telangana government has ordered a CID probe into the scam.
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