Cuttack: Odisha Police have exhumed the body of an accident victim after his family members in Tikarbaju village under the Baliguda police station in Kandhamal district levelled organ theft allegations against a private hospital in Cuttack.
Though the family had buried Babula Digal in the village crematorium after he breathed his last in the hospital, they filed an FIR in the police station alleging that his stomach had been cut open, although his injuries were to the head.
After the victim’s family filed a formal complaint, the body of Babula was exhumed in the presence of sub-collector Harekrushna Raut and inspector in-charge Sushant Kumar Sahu.
The family has accused Cuttack’s Rudra Hospital of stealing organs after Digal was declared dead under suspicious circumstances. According to the complaint, Babula was injured in an accident when he was hit on the head by an iron rod in the Tumudibandh area.
He was first admitted to local hospitals before being shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. However, due to some unknown reasons, he was taken to Rudra Hospital in Cuttack, where the family was reportedly asked to deposit Rs 1.1 lakh for his treatment. After a surgery was conducted, the doctor declared Digal dead. Upon bringing the body back to the village, the family noticed that his stomach had been cut open, although his injuries were to the head. However, the body was buried with the consent of the family and villagers.
After a police complaint was filed, authorities exhumed the body for a post-mortem. A case has been registered at Baliguda police station, and further investigations are underway.
Sushant Behera, the manager of Rudra Hospital, denied the organ theft allegations, stating that the patient’s skull had been placed in the stomach to prevent damage. He claimed the hospital followed due procedure and said the family had not cooperated with the autopsy request. "They insisted to carry the body back to their village and did not pay heed to the hospital request for an autopsy. Our neurosurgeon had conducted the surgery and if need be, he can talk on the details of Digal's condition," he added.
In June 2024, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kerala Police arrested one of the masterminds of an international organ trafficking gang from Hyderabad. Twenty people were learnt to have sold their kidneys through this racket to people residing in Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi.
It is to be noted that in a letter dashed off to all principal secretaries (health) of States and UTs, National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) director Dr Anil Kumar in July 2024 had stated that certain websites and social media posts are promoting and offering organ trading.
"This violates the provision of THOTA (Transplantation of Human Organ & Tissues Act), 1994, and Rules thereafter,” he said. Dr Kumar said that such activities are punishable offences under Section 18 of THOTA, 1994 with fines ranging from Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment ranging from 5 years to 10 years.
“Health and law and order being State subjects and also THOTA provides for State Appropriate Authority to be appointed by every state to deal with such illegal, commercial activities and organ trafficking,” Dr Kumar had said.
Similarly, referring to the Transplantation of Human Organ & Tissues Act, of 1994, Health Secretary Apoorva Chandra had said that the law prohibits any commercial dealings in human organs or tissues. “However, it allows an Indian to donate her organs to a close relative-spouse, son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, grandson or granddaughter,” he said.
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