A couple explains the ins and outs of racket where vital documents are altered to show recipients and illegal donors as being related, which causes them further problems as their identity is erased
This kidney donor was short-changed and held captive until his wife, too, parted with her kidney
The only thing of value remaining that I could sell was one of my kidneys,” a debt-ridden 28-year-old from Madhya Pradesh told mid-day while shedding light on the exploitative tactics of illegal organ traders. Not only was the youth cheated, but he was also held captive until his wife also parted with a kidney. After detailing how the poor are coerced into parting with organs for bargain-basement rates, the second part of our series explains what happens once an illegal donor is trapped.
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The donor’s 23-year-old wife who suffered from an infection after her surgery
Despite their ordeal, the couple believe they are in no position to approach the authorities as their Aadhaar cards were altered by the racketeers before they went under the knife. According to the victims, the racket is being carried out discreetly in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad as well as Tier-2 cities and agents operate outside their home states on a commission basis.
‘Woman posing as wife gave consent for operation’
Illegal donor A
A commerce graduate, the man has been struggling to get by ever since he lost his job as a security supervisor in Borivali a few years ago. Initially, he resided in Malad but now he lives with his wife in an adjacent district.
Illegal donor A told mid-day that he got the idea to sell a kidney to repay his family’s loans when accompanying an acquaintance suffering from renal issues to the hospital for dialysis.
“I saw a Facebook post where someone was looking out for a B+ blood donor. I replied via Facebook Messenger and an agent, Riya Tiwari, told me to come to Kolkata,” he said.
Promised Rs 7 lakh, donor A reached Kolkata on February 5, 2023. “I landed at Howrah railway station and travelled to Bara Bazar. I reached a 3BHK flat where more than 15 people were staying,” he recalled.
The surgical scar of the woman who was promised R5 lakh for her kidney
“One Jayesh Patel was in charge of this set-up. He would give Rs 30 daily to each person for tea and paan masala. Donors are provided with rations at the flat but have to do chores themselves,” he added.
“A few days later, I met one Wasim Akram, a native of Bihar’s Gaya district. He interviewed me on February 7 and gave me R1,500 in cash for travelling. He took my Aadhaar and PAN cards and passport,” he added.
“A recipient Ranjana Tiwari, 38, and her husband Sanjay came to Kolkata on March 20. The woman, whose blood group is B+, needed a kidney transplant. I was told that the couple was from Bodh Gaya,” he said.
Aadhaar details changed
On March 25, the illegal donor was taken by Akram’s close confidant Heera to a PSU bank in Bara Bazar to have his Aadhaar card altered. “Heera had handed me a bogus letter which bore a stamp of the magistrate of Sherghati [a town in Bihar]. In it, I was identified as Uday Yadav,” he added.
A 28-year-old cash-strapped donor from Madhya Pradesh, who was cheated by the racketeers
“This letter was submitted at the bank where a person, apparently from the UIDAI [Unique Identification Authority of India], took my fingerprint and changed my name, date of birth and address,” he added.
Once his identity was changed, the racket’s foot soldiers insisted that illegal donor A memorise the name, date of birth and hometown mentioned on his altered Aadhaar card.
“Rehearsals where I introduced myself as Uday Yadav took place for almost a week under the close observation of Heera and Patel,” illegal donor A said.
Medical tests at hospital
The youth said he was taken to Apollo Gleneagles Hospital in Kadapara, Kolkata on April 1. “The racketeers told me to meet Ranjana’s nephrologist, who interviewed me to check if I introduced myself as per the details mentioned in my altered Aadhaar card,” he added.
“The nephrologist asked me how I was connected to the recipient. Since I was tutored, I told him that I was emotionally attached to Ranjana as her father was my teacher. When the nephrologist asked me if I was donating my kidney for money, I denied it,” he added.
After completing a few medical tests, Illegal donor A was sent for a DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) scan—by which kidney function is evaluated—on April 4. “I showed the report to the nephrologist on April 6,” he added. The nephrologist then referred the youth to a cardiologist, psychiatrist, dentist and kidney surgeon at the same hospital.
When mid-day contacted Dr Sangita Reddy, JMD of Apollo Hospitals Group, inquiring about the hospital’s alleged link to the racket, she said, “Firstly, we are not aware about any such racket. Secondly, they [racketeers] would be using the name of the hospital to commit the crime. You can talk with the CEO for the same.”
Screenshots of a conversation in a Telegram group where agents and donors interact
In a subsequent statement, a hospital spokesperson said, “We categorically deny the allegations concerning organ trafficking. We strictly adhere to all legal and regulatory protocols. All procedures at our hospital are conducted in full compliance with the relevant laws.”
The racketeers had also presented one Reena Yadav as Illegal donor A’s wife. When the kidney surgeon asked Reena if she had any objection to her purported husband’s decision to donate a kidney, she raised none. “My actual wife had accompanied me to Kolkata, but she was kept on the sidelines,” said illegal donor A.
He added that the racketeers had meticulously manipulated photos digitally to portray Reena and Uday Yadav as a couple during a board meeting at the hospital. “They even had a bogus marriage certificate. I was even photoshopped into photos of a function attended by Ranjana’s [the recipient] family,” he said.
“At the meeting, attended by senior doctors, I was videotaped by someone called Taniya. In the video, I was asked to declare: ‘I, Uday Kumar, will be donating my left kidney in full consciousness, without the involvement of any money’. She [Taniya] saved the video as evidence in case of any complaint,” he added.
“Later, I was taken to a local court in Alipur to sign documents on stamp paper, which I wasn't allowed to read. They then took me to the district magistrate’s office and submitted the papers. The DM saw the document and returned it to the racketeers,” he said.
Visited mastermind’s village
A week later, the fake couple and the Tiwaris were taken to Gaya in an air-conditioned sleeper bus from Kolkata. “We reached Imamganj, the village of Akram, the apparent mastermind,” he added.
“After freshening up, my bogus wife and I were produced before a magistrate with form 20 [verification certificate in respect of domicile status of recipient or donor],” he added.
Once the work at Imamganj was over, the team returned to Kolkata along with the illegal donor and his ‘wife’. The Tiwaris arrived 20 days later.
Illegal donor A said, “On May 19, the Tiwaris, Reena and I were taken to the health department where the officials checked our identities. The department did not approve the transplant because of some error in Reena’s documents. Her Aadhaar card still carried her original name—Zarina Khatoon. She is the wife of Akram’s manager, Shakeel.”
“But a day later, Heera got Zarina’s Aadhaar card altered in the name of Reena Yadav,” he added.
The racketeers only get the name, date of birth and address changed on original Aadhaar cards; the card number is unaltered.
“Once Reena’s Aadhaar card was altered, we were taken to the health department to seek an NOC [no-objection certificate] for the transplant,” he added.
“On June 29, the state health department issued an NOC and sent the documents directly to Apollo Hospital,” he said.
“On July 1, Sanjay Tiwari met both the surgeon and nephrologist at the hospital. The matching of blood was done on August 18,” he added.
“On August 24, Ranjana Tiwari was admitted to the hospital for surgery and a day later, I got admitted. My left kidney was removed on August 27 and a couple of days later, I was discharged. My kidney was transplanted into Ranjana’s body. Later, I learnt that she did not survive,” illegal donor A said.
Illegal donor A returned to the flat after the procedure and Akram dropped in on August 30. “I was promised Rs 7 lakh, but Wasim gave me only Rs 1.5 lakh,” he said.
‘Actual wife was operated upon against her will’
Illegal donor B
Akram coerced illegal donor A’s 23-year-old wife into donating one of her kidneys if she wanted her husband to be paid the remaining Rs 5.5 lakh. She also was promised Rs 5 lakh for her kidney.
“My wife went under the knife against her will. In a bid to facilitate the surgery, her Aadhaar card, too, was altered. My wife’s name was changed to Nirmala Devi and a fake husband, Santosh Yadav, was produced before the authorities,” he added.
“The recipient had come from Jhansi. My wife was admitted to the same hospital on February 9 and underwent surgery on February 11. Like me, she was also discharged two days after the procedure,” he added.
“Unlike me, my wife received the amount she was promised. After threatening to go to the police, I eventually got R3.55 lakh. We left Kolkata on February 22,” he added.
Health woes
The couple, who are unemployed, has been facing health and financial issues. “There were blood clots in my legs, so I had to spend money on treatment. I am scared for my life,” he said.
“Now, I can't get a job as my identity has been completely changed. I am worried if I will ever be able to restore it. If I approach the UIDAI, I will be booked for forgery. I am depressed and unsure what to do,” he said.
The 28-year-old added, “It is an enormous interstate racket in which criminals, doctors, hospital staffers, government officials and others are involved; but law enforcement agencies are mute spectators.”
Meanwhile, his wife, said, “I suffered for two months due to a skin infection after the surgery. I am okay now, but can't lift heavy weights. Also, the doctor suggested that shouldn’t get pregnant for at least three years as my child and I would be affected.”
Official Speak
When mid-day briefed the Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), West Bengal, Chandrima Bhattarcharya about the alleged racket, over the phone, she said, “You can take particulars from wherever you want, I do not know. You can have your investigations done. I don’t have to say either against or in favour because I do not know anything. Why are you entangling me in this?”
She added, “The MoS has no connection with this matter. Have you talked to all other states’ ministers of state while conducting pan-India investigations? Why only me?” Informed that illegal activities were allegedly happening at a Kolkata hospital, she said, “This might be happening [in our state]. I do not support any illegal activity. Why should I tell you if we will take any action or not? Why should I reply to your questions? I do not understand. Please do not quote me.”
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Asked if action would be taken against the racketeers, she said, “How can I say anything without knowing the facts? If anybody has done anything wrong, that will take its own course. Why do you ask me to comment on that? And you have the courage to say that you will take my name [quote me]?”
Asked if the Kolkata police had received complaints regarding the alleged racket at Apollo Hospital in Kolkata’s Phoolbagan area, the commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma said he had recently taken charge. “I joined a few days back and I have not gone through the documents yet. But, if we find anything amiss, we will take necessary action. We will check if we have received any complaint in this regard,” he said.
Rs 7L
Amount promised to illegal donor mid-day spoke to
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