9 Held as Kidney Transplant Racket Busted in Telangana

State Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha Ordered a CID Inquiry into the Racket That Has Links to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

- Srinivasa Rao Apparasu

HYDERABAD: The Rachakonda police in Telangana on Saturday announced the arrest of nine people in connection with the alleged illegal kidney transplant racket, while another six accused are still absconding, even as state health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha ordered a comprehensive inquiry by Crime Investigation Department (CID) into the racket that has links to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Rachakonda police commissioner G Sudhir Babu said at a press conference that the Saroornagar police, in coordination with the special operations team (SOT) of the LB Nagar zone and a team of doctors from the Ranga Reddy district medical and health office (DMHO) busted the illegal kidney transplant racket being operated by the management of Alakananda Hospital located at Doctors Colony in Saroor Nagar on the evening of January 21.

"We arrested hospital managing director Dr Guntupally Sumanth and his assistant, Narasani Gopi, on January 23. They were produced before the court on the same day and remanded in judicial custody for two weeks," he said.

On Saturday, police arrested general surgeon Siddamshetty Avinash, who is the prime accused (A-1) in the case, mediators Ponnuswamy Pradeep and Suraj Mishra (both from Karnataka), besides medical assistants Ramavath Ravi, Sapavath Ravinder, Sapavath Harish and Podila Sai - all from Nalgonda district in Telangana.

"All these seven accused will be produced before the court for judicial custody," the commissioner said.