Kidney racket: Court may pass order on bail pleas on Aug 18

A local court today reserved its order on the bail applications of the CEO of L H Hiranandani Hospital here and four others who were arrested in a kidney transplant racket case.
The Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate's court is likely to pass order on August 18 on the applications filed by CEO Sujit Chatterjee, hospital's medical director Anurag Naik, and three doctors who worked with the hospital -- Mukesh Shetye, Mukesh Shaha and Prakash Shetye.
Their lawyers Aabad Ponda and Pranav Badeka pointed out during the argument that the case against the doctors and the hospital authorities was only of procedural lapses.

Several other accused in the case including the donor and the recipient were on bail, they said.
Police had already recovered the money which allegedly exchanged hands for the transplant, the lawyers added.
The prosecution opposed the bail saying that the probe was at a crucial stage.

The alleged racket at the Hiranandani Hospital came to light when the police were tipped off that the donor and the recipient at a kidney transplant scheduled for July 14 were not close relatives, as required under the law.
Police found out that Brijkishor Jaiswal, who was to receive the kidney, was not married to the donor woman. Identity proofs had been forged to show that the two were married.

CEO of the hospital and doctors were arrested following a report from the Director of State Health Services. They are accused of not scrutinising the documents properly.