The Maharashtra government has taken decisive action by constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to unravel a deeply disturbing kidney trafficking racket in Chandrapur. The probe was initiated following shocking allegations that impoverished farmers were being coerced by illegal moneylenders into selling their kidneys to clear insurmountable debts.
Exploitation of Farmers and International Organ Trail
The case, which has triggered statewide outrage, centers on the exploitation of vulnerable farmers by unscrupulous lenders. It has also raised alarming concerns about links to international organ trafficking networks. The incident came to light after Roshan Kule, a farmer from Minthur village in Nagbhid, Chandrapur district, came forward with a harrowing tale.
Kule stated that he had initially borrowed a sum of Rs 1 lakh from private moneylenders. However, due to exorbitant and usurious interest rates, the debt allegedly ballooned to several lakhs of rupees. Unable to repay, he was allegedly harassed and then taken to Cambodia under false pretenses. There, one of his kidneys was removed through an illegal transplant procedure. He was later sent to Laos on the pretext of employment.
Government's Stern Response and Expanding Probe
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule confirmed that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took "serious cognisance" of the incident. "The CM constituted an SIT to probe this deeply disturbing incident," Bawankule said. He added that action had already been initiated against those involved in illegal money lending, with the concerned moneylenders being arrested. The minister assured that stricter action will follow and no guilty person will be spared.
As the investigation gathered momentum, another case highlighting the rampant financial exploitation in the region surfaced from Brahmapuri. In this instance, a private firm employee complained that after borrowing Rs 8.5 lakh, he was allegedly forced to repay a staggering Rs 31.42 lakh. To meet the demands, he had to pledge gold, liquidate investments, and mortgage his house. The police have registered a case against moneylender Laxman Urkude under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Money-Lending (Regulation) Act. Notably, Urkude is also an accused in the Roshan Kule kidney trafficking case.
SIT Composition and Broader Implications
The Chandrapur police have formed the SIT, which will be led by Additional Superintendent of Police, Ishwar Katkade. The team includes senior officers from the local crime branch and the cyber police unit, indicating the multi-faceted nature of the probe. Revenue Minister Bawankule emphasized that this case is not an isolated event but points to a larger organised network preying on the financially desperate.
The establishment of the SIT underscores the government's recognition of the twin menaces of exploitative lending practices and possible international organ trafficking links. The case has shed a harsh light on the shadowy world of illegal finance in rural Maharashtra and its devastating human cost.
