In a major crackdown, the Chandrapur police in Maharashtra have exposed a sprawling, pan-India kidney trafficking syndicate with international connections reaching Cambodia and China. The investigation has led to the naming of two specialist doctors as key accused in the illegal organ trade operation.
The Complaint That Unraveled the Network
The case came to light following a complaint by Roshan Kule, a debt-ridden farmer from Minthur village. Kule alleged he was forced to sell his kidney in Cambodia to escape the clutches of loan sharks. This prompted the Maharashtra government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter deeply.
Chandrapur Superintendent of Police Mummaka Sudarshan stated that the SIT's probe revealed a well-organized network conducting illegal kidney transplants both within India and overseas. The investigation pointed to several alleged surgeries performed at STAR KIMS Hospital in Trichy, Tamil Nadu.
Doctors and Hospital MD Accused
The police have identified Dr. Ravinder Pal Singh from Delhi and Dr. Rajratnam Govindswamy, the Managing Director of STAR KIMS Hospital in Trichy, as playing pivotal roles. According to officials, these medical professionals were instrumental in identifying potential donors through intermediaries and subsequently conducting the unlawful transplants.
The findings are based on the sustained interrogation of two arrested intermediaries—Krishna alias Ramakrishna Sunchu, a fake doctor, and Himanshu Bharadwaj—along with a thorough analysis of mobile and technical data. The syndicate operated through a vast web of agents, donors, hospitals, and medical professionals spread across multiple states.
In a significant revelation, Bharadwaj, who first became a kidney donor before turning into an intermediary, confessed that his own kidney was surgically removed by Dr. Singh and Dr. Govindswamy at the Trichy hospital. His statement was corroborated by co-accused Sunchu and backed by technical evidence. Investigators claim multiple illegal transplants were conducted at the same facility, with Bharadwaj's surgery reportedly taking place on July 23, 2024.
Arrests, Bail, and a Doctor on the Run
Police teams were sent to Delhi and Trichy to apprehend the accused doctors. Dr. Ravinder Pal Singh was arrested in Delhi and produced before a local court for transit remand. However, he was granted interim bail after the Maharashtra police team's flight was cancelled. The court has directed Dr. Singh to appear before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Chandrapur on January 2.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rajratnam Govindswamy from Trichy is currently evading arrest, and efforts are underway to locate and apprehend him, SP Sudarshan confirmed.
Staggering Costs and Meager Donor Payments
The financial scale of the racket is shocking. Police investigations revealed that each kidney transplant was priced between ₹50 lakh and ₹80 lakh. The financial trail indicates that Dr. Ravinder Pal Singh, who traveled to Trichy to perform the surgeries, allegedly received approximately ₹10 lakh per transplant.
Dr. Rajratnam Govindswamy reportedly charged nearly ₹20 lakh for treatment and hospital arrangements at STAR KIMS. Handler Krishna Sunchu collected around ₹20 lakh for arranging donors and coordinating their transfer. In stark contrast, the kidney donors themselves were paid a paltry ₹5 to ₹8 lakh. Most financial transactions, including payments to all parties, were routed through hawala channels.
All four accused have been booked under Sections 18 and 19 of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994. The police have emphasized that the investigation is ongoing to identify other accomplices, financial backers, and the cross-border logistics that supported this extensive kidney racket.
