Kolkata: Online kidney racket uses hospital name for biz

KOLKATA: Months after a kidney kingpin of north India was arrested from Kolkata, another major racket -operating online -has been detected by one of the top hospitals of the city.

Realizing the importance, they registered a case with the cyber cell of Kolkata Police. Initial investigations have revealed the gang was demanding around Rs 14 lakh from each of its buyers. The website of the gang also hinted that they used names of two other hospitals -one of them based out of Mumbai -while trying to attract “potential customers.“

According to police, the website has three thread points through which a buyer can get a kidney . But cops are not certain whether the information shared on the website are genuine or merely an attempt to woo a buyer. While the gang seeks Rs 31,500 in two instalments for a mere registration, the police are worried that several “willing“ persons seem to have responded.

“The fact that this website was created to tarnish the image of a leading hospital with branches on EM Bypass and Rashbehari Avenue shows the accused had planned this earlier. The hospital has given us in writing that they have no such email id, like the one cited in the website. Accordingly , a case under IPC sections 419, 465, 468,469 and 471 along with sections 66C and 84B of Information Act has been registered with the cyber cell,“ said an IPS officer at Lalbazar.

Message boards of the website have full details, including names, ages, blood groups, email addresses, health statuses, and in few cases, even phone numbers of the sellers.

Police say though advertising for sale of kidneys online is nothing new, the effort to involve hospitals has worried them. “We are now investigating the origin of the link,“ said an investigating officer.