Kidney racket: Police investigate money trail to trace kingpin

Police are investigating a money trail which can lead them to Rajukumar Rao, the alleged kingpin of the international kidney trading racket busted here, who was last traced at Agartala in Tripura.
An official privy to the investigation said that they have got vital leads from the two bank accounts of accused Aseem Sikdar and transactions to the tune of several lakhs can potentially lead them to Rao.
The middlemen arrested in connection with the racket have disclosed that Rao never met them at Apollo hospital. He always preferred meetings at a prominent five-star hotel in the city and at times at a place opposite to the Jasola-Apollo metro station, the official said.

Rao, who is believed to be associated with several other kidney rackets in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, was named in two similar rackets at Coimbatore and Jalandhar in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
Initially he himself lured slum dwellers, pavement dwellers and vagabonds into selling off their kidneys for a price close to Rs 1 lakh, until he employed middlemen for the purpose and expanded his racket, the official said.
Rao is a native of Andhra Pradesh but shifted to Kolkata around 20 years back. He was last traced in Tripura's capital Agartala, the senior official said, adding that he has switched off his phone.

Earlier today, teams were sent to conduct raids at Kolkata and Chennai to nab Rao and some of its associates. A team is also likely to be rushed to Agartala tonight for more input on Rao's movements.

With the arrest of five persons, including the personal secretaries of a doctor in Apollo hospital here, Delhi Police had yesterday busted the kidney trading racket. Rao, who is at large, emerged as its alleged kingpin.
The arrested persons were identified as Aditya Singh and Shailesh Saxena (both secretaries to a nephrologist) and three middlemen -- Aseem Sikdar, Satya Prakash and Devashish Moulik.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have traced at least three recipients and five donors in connection with the racket and sought legal opinion regarding slapping charges on them.
A case under different sections of IPC and Transplant of Human Organ Act (THOA) has been registered at Sarita Vihar police station in connection with the matter.