Delhi Police to grill 3 doctors in Indraprastha Apollo kidney racket case

The Delhi Police is likely to interrogate three nephrologists at the city's Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in connection with certain kidney transplant surgeries they carried out. At least 10 persons have been arrested so far over the alleged kidney trade network.

Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted a senior police official as saying that the names of the doctors came to light during the interrogation of Rajkumar Rao, kidney racket's kingpin who operated in several states and may have links with similar gangs in other countries as well.

One of the doctors was expected to return from the US on Thursday but hasn't returned yet. Two of his personal assistants were arrested in the case, while a police team has been deployed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in this regard. Police also recovered blank papers signed by the doctor. According to the report, the papers were allegedly used by the assistants to complete the formalities to facilitate the transplant at the hospital.

Police on Friday also detained the personal assistant of the second senior nephrologist. The doctor's role is still under investigation.

A donor linked to the kidney racket led the police to the third doctor whose name again came up when they were interrogating Rao. The police is now investigating his assistant's role in the case, the police official was quoted by PTI as saying.

A notice will be sent to all three of them in a day to join the investigation.

Five senior officials of the hospital, including the head of the 10-member internal assessment committee for transplant surgeries, had previously been issued notices as well.

Besides the kingpin and two personal assistants of a nephrologist, several middlemen and donors have been arrested so far.