Kidney racket busted, six held

Six persons, including five women, were arrested here today for allegedly trying to sell kidneys in violation of the law governing transplantation of human organs, police said.
All of them were booked under various provisions of the IPC and remanded to judicial custody.
Police said a case under Section 19 (which prohibits and punishes trade in human organs) of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, would be slapped on them.
They said two women volunteered to "donate" their kidneys in lieu of money by posing as genuine donor-relatives of would-be recipients, while the others were touts.
Officials said they are also investigating the possible involvement of other persons, including some from a hospital.

The six persons were arrested after the Tamil Nadu Government's Authorisation Committee [panel that approves transplantation as required under law], comprising top State health officials suspected the genuineness of the two donors.
A complaint was then lodged with police, health officials said.