February
7, 2008 Kidney Scam Kingpin
Finally Arrested
in Nepal By Sudeshna Sarkar and Sahil Makkar
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.
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