Mumbai: 

VICTIM: Srinivas Rao

Srinivas Rao has not forgotten that fateful day when he fell prey to the lure of money. Rao, who struggled to make ends meet, agreed to sell his kidney after being promised a large sum of money. It was Rao's confession that led to the arrest of kidney kingpin, Dr Santosh Raut.

"I worked as a labourer near the Mahim durgah. One day, an agent named Zuber Javed, also a resident of Mahim, approached me. He told me about the prospect of earning lakhs of rupees by selling my kidney," says Rao. The deal worried Rao and he made it known to Zuber.

"Zuber, who provided money to me occasionally, understood my concerns, but told me not to worry. He said I'd be paid Rs 3 lakh and assured me there would be no problems," recalls Rao. He added there are several agents near the durgah, who entice people into such surgeries, and there are many who have made a lot of money by going under the knife.

"I agreed to Zuber's assurances and was taken to a hospital in Gurgaon on the outskirts of New Delhi. I met Dr Santosh Raut there, who told me he would pay me the money after the operation. However, after the operation, I was sent back to Mumbai without a penny. When I asked Zuber, he told me I would be paid soon," said Rao.

Fed up with false assurances and with no hope of getting his money back, Rao approached the police. After police arrested Dr Raut, they searched for his victims. A telegram was sent to Rao's hometown in Andhra Pradesh. Rao telephoned a police officer and reached Mumbai yesterday. He was taken to the Arthur Road jail to identify Dr Raut.
Police are on the lookout for the other victim.

Rao works as a labourer and is fed free of cost near the Mahim durgah. He shuttles between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu every six months.