Kidney racket: PA of senior Apollo doctor detained; 5 more

The personal assistant of another senior doctor in Apollo Hospital here was today detained in connection with the kidney racket busted last week, even as police came across five fresh cases of kidney transplant carried out by the racket in the hospital.
The name of the suspect, who is the personal assistant of a senior nephrologist in Apollo hospital, emerged during the interrogation of the racket's kingpin Rajkumar Rao, a senior police official said.
"One suspect has been detained for questioning and five more cases of transplant carried out by the group in the same hospital have emerged, taking the total to 10. More arrests are likely," Joint Commissioner of Police (Southeast) R P Upadhyay said.

Rao has so far named over 30 people, including senior officials in the hospital, in connection with his racket which was active across several states. The gang is suspected to be involved in nearly 20 kidney transplants in delhi alone, a senior police official said.
The roles of three senior doctors in Apollo Hospital are under scanner now in the case in connection with which 10 persons -- including two personal assistants of a nephrologist, several middlemen and donors, and the kingpin -- have been arrested.
Delhi Police will also question Rao's aide Deepak Kar, who surrendered at a police station in Kolkata within 24 hours of Rao's arrest earlier this week and is being brought to Delhi on transit remand, However, Kar's role in any of the cases being probed by Delhi Police is still unclear, the official said.

Police is also probing Rao's links with similar rackets in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Singapore.

Apart from the three nephrologists, the 25-member Special Investigation Team probing the case are also likely to question 10 other doctors who are in the hospital's internal assessment committee for transplant surgeries.
The committee comprises senior doctors working at the hospital, independent doctors and a government doctor. The committee had verified and cleared all documents -- which turned out to be forged -- related to the 10 transplants executed by the racket in Apollo Hospital.
The racket was busted last week after Delhi Police arrested five persons -- two personal assistants of a senior nephrologist and three middlemen. Later, four donors in connection with the racket and its kingpin Rao were arrested too.