Kanpur: The investigation into an illegal kidney transplant racket here is widening, with police arresting two operation theatre technicians.
The accused, Kuldeep Singh Raghav and Rajesh Kumar, were allegedly involved in an illegal kidney transplant carried out at a private hospital in Kalyanpur. With their arrest, the total number of people held in the case has gone up to eight.
Police said both men had travelled from Delhi to Kanpur on the day of the surgery and left soon after it was done.
During questioning, they revealed that they often worked with a doctor named Rohit, also known as Rahul, who is one of the main accused in the case. Lookout notices have already been issued against him to prevent him from leaving the country.
According to police, the technicians were paid between ₹35,000 and ₹50,000 for each surgery, along with travel and stay expenses. Their job was to arrange medical equipment and assist doctors during the transplant procedures.
Rajesh Kumar is from Ghaziabad and works at a private hospital in Noida, while Raghav is from Pilkhuwa in Hapur and is employed at a hospital in Ghaziabad.
Officials said another doctor who was present during the surgery is still missing, and efforts are on to trace him. Police are also checking call records of a suspected middleman to understand how the network operated.
The probe has found links to several cities, including Delhi, Meerut, Lucknow and Ghaziabad, pointing to a well-organised interstate racket. More arrests are likely in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the kidney donor and the patient have been shifted to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for better treatment. Doctors said both are stable and recovering.
Moreover, authorities have cancelled the licences of two hospitals linked to the case and asked them to shut down within three days. Another hospital connected to the racket had already been sealed earlier.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and they are trying to trace the full network and money trail behind the illegal operations.
(with inputs from agencies)
