Major Kidney Transplant Racket Busted in Kanpur: Five Doctors Among Six Arrested, Probe Points to Wider Organ Trafficking Network

Kanpur, April 2 — In a shocking case that has exposed the dark underbelly of illegal organ trade, the Kanpur Police on Tuesday arrested six persons, including five doctors and an ambulance operator, for allegedly running an organised kidney transplant racket.

The case has raised serious concerns about unethical practices within sections of the medical fraternity and the possible involvement of multiple private hospitals across Uttar Pradesh and beyond.

Those arrested have been identified as Dr Surjeet Singh Ahuja (54), his wife Dr Preeti Ahuja (50), Dr Rajesh Kumar (44), Dr Ram Prakash (40), Dr Narendra Singh (35), and ambulance operator Shivam Agrawal (32), who allegedly acted as the middleman in the illegal network.

Police investigations indicate that Agrawal lured economically vulnerable persons into selling their kidneys by promising substantial financial compensation.

The racket came to light after police received confidential inputs regarding suspicious transplant activities.

Acting swiftly, a joint team comprising police personnel and officials from the health department conducted raids on March 29 and 30 at three private medical establishments located in the Kalyanpur–Rawatpur area — Ahuja Hospital, Priya Hospital and Med Life Hospital.

During the raids, investigators seized a significant quantity of medicines and recovered Rs 1.75 lakh in cash from the possession of the accused.

Preliminary findings suggest that the hospital run by the arrested doctor couple was allegedly used as the primary facility for carrying out illegal transplant procedures.

Evidence collected so far indicates that at least seven to eight kidney transplants were performed illegally at the facility in recent months.

Police officials revealed that teams of doctors from Noida allegedly travelled to Kanpur to conduct the transplant surgeries.

Communication among members of the network was reportedly maintained through encrypted messaging platforms in order to avoid detection.

According to investigators, Shivam Agrawal, who has studied only up to Class VIII, allegedly posed as a medical professional to gain the confidence of potential donors.

Authorities suspect that kidneys were purchased from financially distressed individuals for amounts ranging between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, while recipients were charged between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 1 crore.

The most recent illegal transplant procedure is believed to have been conducted on March 29.

Investigators said the donor in this case was a second-year MBA student from Dehradun who allegedly agreed to sell a kidney due to financial pressures related to educational expenses.

The recipient was reportedly a woman from Muzaffarnagar. After the surgery, both individuals were shifted to another hospital linked to one of the accused doctors.

Authorities confirmed that both donor and recipient are currently undergoing treatment and are in stable condition.

Police suspect that the network is far more extensive than initially believed. Investigations indicate the possible involvement of at least seven additional hospitals, including six in Kanpur and one in Lucknow.

Officials also believe that the illegal kidney transplant trade may have been operating in the region for nearly two years, with approximately 50 such procedures suspected to have been conducted across multiple private hospitals.

In one instance, investigators found that a woman from South Africa allegedly underwent a transplant procedure in Kanpur on March 4 this year, indicating that the racket may have international links.

Authorities have launched a wider probe to identify other individuals and institutions involved in the illegal organ trade. Multiple police teams are conducting continuous raids to apprehend four more doctors believed to be associated with the network.

The case has sparked widespread concern over the lack of regulatory oversight and the urgent need for stronger monitoring mechanisms to prevent exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

Experts believe that a comprehensive and coordinated investigation by specialised agencies will be necessary to uncover the full extent of the racket and ensure strict action against those responsible for endangering human lives for profit.