By Sudeshna Sarkar and Sahil Makkar, IANS
Kathmandu/New Delhi : On the run for a fortnight, Amit Kumar, the alleged kingpin of the illegal kidney transplant racket in India with international links, was finally nabbed Thursday from a hotel in Nepal near the India border.
A special team of the Kathmandu police arrested Kumar, the mastermind behind the sensational racket, from a jungle resort in southern Nepal close to the Indian border.
Ram Kumar Chaudhary, Nepal’s minister of state for home affairs, confirmed reports that Amit, 40, was arrested from Room No.106 of the Hotel Wildlife Camp in the Chitwan National Park, about 60 km away from the Indian border town of Raxaul.
“Amit Kumar was found carrying a huge amount of foreign currency and bank drafts,” Chaudhury said.
Kumar alias Santosh Rameshwar Raut, who was wanted by police of many states in India, had reportedly conducted over 600 illegal kidney transplants in over a decade.
The racket, which served clients from Britain, the US, Greece, Lebanon, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, was busted by the police forces of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh Jan 24 in Gurgaon, an emerging IT hub on the outskirts of the Indian capital.
Kumar and his associates used to obtain kidneys illegally or under force from the poor people and then transplant them to needy and unsuspecting patients who could pay their exorbitant charges.
According to informed sources, both Kumar and Lama had asked to see a copy of newspapers after checking into the Nepal resort. It is believed that Kumar cut out a particular news item about his possible presence in Kathmandu and returned the newspaper to the reception. Kumar was sporting a hat and sunglasses when he checked in.
A police team reached the hotel and began enquiring about the guests.
The policemen showed the receptionist a picture of Kumar and sought to know whether he was staying in the hotel.
Hotel staff confirmed his presence and when Kumar got to know of the police presence he made an attempt to flee from his room but only this time he realized that he was cornered. Surrounded by a posse of policemen he did not resist and allowed himself to be handcuffed.
Kumar was being brought to Kathmandu for further questioning. His aide Deepak Lama was also arrested.
Earlier during the day, Bhupender Kanth Arryal, senior superintendent of police of Metropolitan Police, told IANS that a manhunt had begun for Kumar in the Kathmandu valley and possible locations where he could be hiding. He also said that the Nepal police were acting in coordination with their Indian counterparts.
Even though Nepal Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula commented on the arrest, the Chitwan police said they had no information about the development.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu was unaware of the high-profile catch and refused to confirm the arrests.
“We have seen the media reports but we do not have any such information at this moment,” said Gopal Baglay, the embassy spokesperson.
The Indian police had suspected Amit was hiding in Nepal or Canada.
Interpol had issued a Red Corner notice last week for Kumar’s arrest on charges of “illegal transplanting of kidneys, cheating and criminal conspiracy” after he apparently escaped from India following the unearthing of the racket Jan 24.
Upendra Aggrawal, one of the key accused, was arrested from a Faridabad hotel while three other ‘doctors’ including Amit, his brother Jeewan and Saraj Kumar had been absconding.
Meanwhile, police forces in Moradabad and Gurgaon near New Delhi were yet to confirm the arrest.
“We have got information through media that Amit has been arrested in Nepal but we are verifying the claim,” Moradabad Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manzil Saini told IANS.
Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner of Police Rakesh Arya said: “We are trying to get details from the Nepal police.”
According to police sources in India, Kumar has eight properties, including one in Australia and a residential premise in Canada. He was reportedly operating at least a couple of dozens banks accounts, where he had stashed around one billion rupees.
According to the Gurgaon police, he owns at least eight luxurious cars, including a Mercedes.
He used to made frequent trips from Canada – where his family lives – to India only to conduct transplant operations, say police.
“His network was well spread in some foreign countries. Till now, the names of a few people in Turkey, Greece and Ireland have surfaced in the investigations. We are trying to identify them,” a senior police official told IANS.
His family has been traced to an upscale locality in Toronto. His wife Poonam Ameet and two sons live in a newly built posh house on Pali Drive in the upcoming Bovaird and Airport area, not far from Toronto airport.