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{{short description|Indian medical scandal}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}

The multi-billion [[Indian rupee|rupee]] '''Gurgaon kidney scandal''' came to light in January 2008 when police arrested several people for running a [[Kidney transplantation|kidney transplant]] [[racket (crime)|racket]] in [[Gurgaon]],<ref name="toibusted">{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-01-25/delhi/27776613_1_kidney-racket-transplant-racket-moradabad-senior-superintendent |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019170125/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-01-25/delhi/27776613_1_kidney-racket-transplant-racket-moradabad-senior-superintendent |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-10-19 |title=Kidney racket busted in Gurgaon|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=2008-01-25 |access-date=2008-02-06}}</ref> an industrial township near [[New Delhi]], [[India]]. Kidneys from most of the victims, who were the poor hailing from the nearby western [[Uttar Pradesh]],<ref name="toibusted"/> were transplanted into clients from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Greece. The police raid was prompted by complaints by the locals from [[Moradabad]] about illegal kidney sales.<ref name="NDTV25Jan">{{cite news |url=http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080039411&ch=1/25/2008%204:41:00%20PM |title=Doctor held for kidney racket|publisher=[[NDTV]]|date=2008-01-25 |access-date=2008-02-06}}</ref> The man accused of the scandal, Amit Kumar, was arrested in [[Nepal]] on 7 February 2008 and has denied any hand in criminal activity.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080040737 | title= I have done nothing wrong: Kingpin | access-date= 2008-02-08}}</ref>

== Chronology of events ==
{{wikinews|has=news about the "Gurgaon kidney scandal"| Alleged kidney harvester arrested in Nepal| Police track kidney doctor to Brampton, Canada| International manhunt for alleged kidney harvester}}

=== The police raid ===
On 24 January 2008, police teams from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh raided a residential building and a guest house owned by Amit Kumar.<ref name="ibnchronology">{{cite news |url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/spilling-the-beans-how-the-kidney-racket-unfolded/58458-3.html|title=Spilling the Beans: How the kidney racket unfolded|publisher=[[CNN-IBN]]|date=2008-02-08 |access-date=2008-02-10|work=Indo-Asian News Service}}</ref>

According to the Gurgaon police, the scandal at a local clinic was going on for six to seven years. The donors were lured with offerings of about [[Rs.]] 30,000 for kidney removal.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-02-04/india/27746299_1_kidney-racket-amit-kumar-raut | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019185000/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-02-04/india/27746299_1_kidney-racket-amit-kumar-raut | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-10-19 | title = Kidney racket: Women did con job for Amit Kumar | access-date = 2008-01-08 | first1=Mateen | work = [[The Times of India]] | last1=Hafeez}}</ref> First, they were lured to the clinic on the pretext of job opportunities. They were instead asked for donating their kidneys for the fee and all those who resisted this were drugged against their will and subsequently operated upon.<ref name="Guardian25Jan">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/india/story/0,,2246988,00.html |title=Indian police arrest suspected kidney snatching gang|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=2008-01-25 |access-date=2008-02-06|last=Ramesh|first=Randeep |location=London}}</ref>

The [[Haryana]] police, under whose jurisdiction the scandal happened, issued arrest warrants against Upendra Aggarwal, a general physician and an associate of Amit Kumar for his involvement in the scandal. However, at the time of the police raid, Kumar and his other accomplices escaped after the knowledge of possible arrests.<ref name="sify06Jan">{{cite news |url=http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14600655 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212191729/http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14600655 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-02-12 |title=Kidney kingpin has network of overseas touts|publisher=[[Sify]]|date=2008-02-06 |access-date=2008-02-06}}</ref>

The raid helped rescue five people and shifted them to a Gurgaon hospital.<ref name="ibnchronology"/>

=== Aftermath of the raid ===
On 25 January 2008, the police detained a [[United States]]–based [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|non-resident Indian]] couple and three Greek nationals, two among them being patients receiving the transplants.<ref name="ibnchronology"/>

The police revealed that Dr. Amit Kumar and his accomplices had performed 600 kidney transplants in the past decade.<ref name="ibnchronology"/><ref name="sify06Jan"/> Additionally, at least two hospitals were involved in the after care of patients.<ref name=Commodity>Scheper-Hughes, Nancy. The Last Commodity: Post-Human Ethics, Global (In)Justice, and the Traffic in Organs. Penang: Multiversity & Citizens International, 2008.</ref> Police, through the technology of fingerprinting, determined that Kumar went by many aliases and had been previously arrested at least four different times for illegal [[organ trade]] operations.<ref name=Commodity /> It was further revealed that Kumar, his brother Jeevan Kumar, Upendra Aggarwal and Saraj Kumar, an anesthesiologist were previously arrested three times on charges of illegal human organ transplantation in [[Delhi]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Maharashtra]]. They were, however, released on bail.<ref name="ibnchronology"/> On 7 January 2008 Kumar was arrested by [[Delhi Police]] but was released on a bribe of Rs. 20 [[lakhs]].<ref>{{cite news | url =http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-31972520080215 | title = Delhi policeman arrested in kidney racket scandal | access-date=2008-02-23 | work=Reuters | date=2008-02-15}}</ref> Jeevan Kumar was later arrested on 17 February 2008 in Delhi.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7250185.stm | title = India organ doctor associate held| access-date = 2008-02-18 | work=BBC News | date=2008-02-18}}</ref>

The [[Indian Medical Association]], arranged a probe by its three-member committee, and further requested investigation by [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI), India's higher investigation agency.<ref name="ibnchronology"/> The Haryana police further uncovered 2 hospitals and 10 laboratories in Greater [[Noida]] and [[Meerut]], cities nearby to [[New Delhi]] for their alleged involvement in the scandal.<ref name="ibnchronology"/>

In the meanwhile, a Gurgaon court had issued arrest warrants for Amit Kumar and his brother, Jeevan Kumar Rawat. With growing suspicions that Kumar might have fled the country,<ref name="cnnibnfled">{{cite news |url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/kidney-kingpin-had-links-with-nepal-minister/58092-3.html |title=Kidney kingpin had links with Nepal minister|publisher=[[CNN-IBN]]|date=2008-02-04 |access-date=2008-02-10}}</ref> the [[Haryana]] police requested the CBI to alert the [[Interpol]]. Thereafter, [[Red corner notice]]s were issued for the Kumar siblings.<ref name="HTredcorner">{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=758d28b1-8cd9-4d58-9e7d-50a537de4846&ParentID=2eb17c76-9611-4140-95c5-bda67188a18b&MatchID1=4657&TeamID1=5&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1172&PrimaryID=4657&Headline=Red+Corner+notices+out+for+kingpin%2c+brother |title=Red Corner notices out for kingpin, brother|publisher=[[Hindustan Times]]|date=2008-02-01|last=Srivastava|first=Tushar|access-date=2008-02-10}}</ref>

=== Arrest of Amit Kumar ===
On 7 February 2008, Amit Kumar was arrested in the neighboring country of [[Nepal]]. He was hiding in a wildlife resort, about 35 miles from the Indo-Nepal border. He had a [[bank draft]] worth Rs. 936,000 along with a total of [[Euro|€]]145,000 and [[Dollar|$]]18,900 in cash.<ref name="guardianarrest">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,,2254932,00.html |title=Doctor arrested over Indian kidney racket|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=2008-02-09|last=Ramesh|first=Randeep|access-date=2008-02-10 |location=London}}</ref> At the resort he made an unsuccessful attempt to bribe the Nepali policemen to let him go.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080040741&ch=2/9/2008%209:57:00%20AM | title = Amit Kumar tried to bribe Nepali cops: report | access-date=2008-02-09}}</ref> The charges filed against him by CBI are under sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon), sections 342 (wrongful confinement), sections 420 (cheating) and sections 120B (criminal conspiracy).<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200802101864.htm | title = Amit Kumar sent to CBI custody till Feb. 22 in kidney racket | access-date=2008-02-10 | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | date=2008-02-10}}</ref>

=== Subsequent conviction ===
In March 2013, a [[CBI special court]] convicted five accused while acquitting another five in the case of a Gurgaon kidney transplant racket that was busted in 2008. Dr Upender Dublesh and Dr Amit Kumar, who was termed a "quack" in no uncertain terms by the court, got seven-year [[rigorous imprisonment]] (RI) besides a fine of over Rs. 60 lakh each.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Punjab/Kidney-racket-Mastermind-doctors-get-7-yr-jail/Article1-1030875.aspx | title = Kidney racket: Mastermind doctors get 7-yr jail | access-date=2013-03-23 | location=Panchkula, India | work=[[Hindustan Times]] | date=23 March 2013}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:2008 disasters in India]]
[[Category:Corruption in Haryana]]
[[Category:Crime in Gurgaon]]
[[Category:Health disasters in India]]
[[Category:Medical controversies in India]]
[[Category:Medical scandals in India]]
[[Category:Organ trade]]

Gurgaon kidney scandal - Revision history

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