By IANS
New Delhi/Mumbai : With the gradual unravelling of a multi-state kidney transplant racket with its epicentre in Gurgaon, Haryana on the outskirts of the capital, the state government Friday plumped for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, even as investigations revealed that the racket’s kingpin Amit Kumar was being threatened by an underworld don who wanted a share of the ill-gotten gains.
Mumbai police Friday said Amit Kumar, who has been nicknamed Dr Horror, had been receiving extortion calls from underworld gangster Chhota Shakeel. Last year in January, the Mumbai Police arrested two alleged shooters of Chhota Shakeel, hired to kill Amit – against whom and his brother Jeewan Raut a red corner notice was issued by Interpol Friday.
“They said they had been sent to India after Raut’s family refused to pay Rs.25 crore (Rs.250 million) to Shakeel,” Mumbai police officials said.
The Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai police arrested the two shooters – Jameer Zaheer Ahmed Khan, and Tanvir Mohammad Aslam Sayyed – on Jan 16, 2007, near the Bandra (West) bus station.
The probe into the racket deepened further Friday with the police arresting K.K. Aggarwal, a doctor and an alleged accomplice of Amit Kumar, from Alwar in Rajasthan following disclosures made by Upendra Aggarwal, another accused who is currently in police custody.
The Haryana government also urged the centre to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe the decade-old kidney racket run from two bungalows in Gurgaon, the state’s IT hub neighbouring the capital.
Haryana Friday made the request to the central government following a detailed report from its police chief R.S. Dalal, noting that the racket has spread in several states and also has international links.
Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has already spoken in favour of a CBI probe into the racket.
Forty-year-old Amit and 36-year-old Jeewan have been on the run since the racket was exposed last week. Amit is suspected to have escaped to Canada, where his family has been living.
While putting out its red corner notice, Interpol said: “Both are subject of national arrest warrants for illegal transplanting of kidneys, cheating and criminal conspiracy.”
The police have so far arrested and detained 12 people. Police officials said more arrests were likely. Raids were taking place at various hospitals and nursing homes in Gurgaon, Noida, and Ghaziabad, all satellite towns of the national capital.
“The investigation is going on as per the revelation being made by the arrested persons in the case,” a senior Haryana Police official said.
Four people, including Linda, a nurse at New Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Ramesh and Suresh, cooks of Amit and his driver Harpal were arrested in connection with the racket on Thursday.
Amit Kumar alias Santosh Rameshwar Raut has allegedly conducted 600 kidney transplants. The scandal has global links with buyers coming from the US, Britain, Greece and Saudi Arabia.