Donors and recipients have submitted fake documents and address proof, as found by mid-day when the reporter visited three addresses of donors and recipients, who are currently under the scanner
Just like the relationships between the donors and recipients in the kidney transplant racket, even the addresses provided by some of them seem to be fake. Donors and recipients have submitted fake documents and address proof, as found by mid-day when this reporter visited three addresses of donors and recipients who are currently under the scanner of the Health Department in the Hiranandani kidney transplant racket.
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Rasilaben Kathiriya’s address was incorrect and her sister Harsha no longer stays at her address
The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) is currently investigating two more illegal kidney transplants conducted in Hiranandani Hospital.
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mid-day got access to three addresses of one donor and two recipients allegedly involved in the racket, and visited them on Saturday. But two of the three addresses were fake. The third address was of a donor who no longer stays there. As per the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, the hospital should have sent the documents to police for verification and procured an NOC before going ahead with the surgeries.
Harshaben Kevadiya, Rasilaben’s sister used to stay in this building at Virar
The transplant authorisation committee of the hospital also provided the seal of their approval on the fake documents without checking them. In the transplant authorisation committee meeting held on April 13, Dr Anurag Naik, medical director of the hospital and chairperson of the committee, approved the transplant of Dimple Manak Himmatramka. As per the report, her brother, Sudarkumar Kunjbihari Roongata, ‘out of love and affection towards her’ decided to donate his kidney. But initial the DHS report states they weren’t siblings.
Dimple Manak Himmatramka and Sudarkumar Kunjbihari Roongata aren’t siblings
Dr Mukesh Shete, consultant nephrologist from the hospital, who was also arrested along with four doctors, gave his seal of approval on the addresses and profiles of Dimple and Sudarkumar.
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“The transplant authorisation committee, which is responsible for checking the facts, approves the transplants depending on the documents submitted to them. But there is no mechanism to check them, though they take Rs 20-25 lakh for kidney transplants,” said Suresh Gupta, a whistleblower who provides help to victims of the kidney racket.
Dimple had provided an address in Kandivli (E) in a housing society at Thakur Complex. There were 41 buildings in the society but none had a resident of the name.
The DHS is also probing a woman named Rasilaben Kathiriya, who received a kidney from Harshaben Kevadiya, who claimed to be her sister. But DHS’ investigation has shown that though their blood test proved they are siblings, the documents submitted were incorrect.
“There are also loopholes in the documents submitted in the case of Rasilaben. Their blood test shows that they are siblings but the documents to support their claims are incorrect, so are their addresses,” said a senior officer from DHS.
Kevadiya provided an address as Rushmen Nagar, Virar. But mid-day found out she had left the building more than a year back. “They used to stay here but left the house more than a year back. Now no one resides in here,” said a local resident. The recipient, Kathiriya also gave an incorrect address in Krida Bhavan near Chowpatty.
BK Mahadeshwar, senior police officer of Powai police station said, “We aren’t investigating the two cases but have submitted documents procured from the hospital to DHS.”
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