Doctor held in kidney racket

Sureshkumar Trivedi, 63, a senior nephrologist associated with Bombay Hospital, has been arrested and remanded to police custody till January 29 for his role in a kidney transplant racket. Trivedi has confessed to his involvement in 59 illegal transplants over the past three years.

Police said Trivedi would direct potential kidney recipients to a middleman, Shivanand Kamath alias Shiva alias S. Kumar, 40, who would scout for suitable donors, with accomplice Ajay Mohan Pujari alias Jaya Shetty, 38.

Most victims were unemployed men, who were lured to undergo a free check-up. And once their blood group matched the patient’s, the victims were paid Rs 30,000 while the gang charged between Rs 1.5 lakh-1.8 lakh.

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Two others, Mohammed Parvez Sheikh (31) and Wahab Shamim Khan (29), were also involved in the racket.

JCP (Crime) Dr Satya Pal Singh did not rule out the involvement of more nephrologists in the racket.