The kingpin would lend small sums to poor people at huge interest rates; as they struggled to repay the skyrocketing interests, he would lure them to sell their kidney
The Hiranandani kidney racket has already shaken the medical fraternity, but the latest revelation indicates a more sinister ploy at play. It has now been found that the main accused, Bijendra Bisen, operated a money-lending business where when his debtors couldn’t repay their loans, they were pressured into donating their kidneys. He even trapped numerous people by presenting it as a sweet deal where not only were their loan interests being taken care of, but they were also making some extra cash on the side.
Bijendra Bisen operated a money-lending business
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Modus operandi
Social activist Sunder Singh, who helped the cops bust the kidney racket, told mid-day that Bisen has been in the kidney racket business for a long time and had carried it out not just in Mumbai, but also in UP, Gujarat and other parts of Maharashtra.
Illustration/Ravi Jadhav
In fact, he was even arrested in 2007 for the same offence. Singh also revealed that he had been a victim of Bisen’s racket, too.
Bisen fuelled his kidney racket with the help of his money lending operation wherein he trapped poor people only. A source said, “The amount would be little, but the interest rate would be very high. In many cases, the interest amount would be higher than the principal amount. Bisen would then start threatening them to return the money.”
Here, he would give them the option of selling their kidney to raise the sum.
Once they were persuaded, the documents for the racket were provided by another accused, Iqbal Khan, a resident of Madanpura. Khan took around Rs 25,000 for each kidney transplant document and the police officers investigating the case recovered over 30 such documents from his place.
DCP Vinayak Deshmukh, meanwhile, said that the police was unaware of Bisen’s money lending business, and would only get further details after the investigations are through.
Whistleblower foxed
Singh says he was also a donor who was desperate for money. He was promised around Rs 3-4 lakh, but after going through with the donation, only got Rs 25,000. The source said, “Bisen promised people money in lakhs, but after getting their kidney, paid them no more than Rs 25,000.”
However, the police said that according to the law, the donor is also an accused in the case, so after the investigation report, Singh may be arrested.
More cases emerge
Now, another woman has approached Singh, claiming that Bisen has duped her, but is afraid to go to the police for fear that her life is in danger because of the high-profile names involved in the case. She repeats the similar story that her kidney was taken around four months ago with a promise of R1 lakh in return. She, however, was paid only Rs 25,000.
SoBo hospitals on radar
Investigation in the kidney racket case has put four hospitals from south Mumbai under the scanner as the arrested accused in the case have named these hospitals during their interrogation. The cops are tight-lipped about the other hospitals.
DCP Deshmukh said, “We are currently investigating this case only. South Mumbai hospitals are not in my jurisdiction.”
The court yesterday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of two other doctors accused in the case. They may now be arrested soon, say the cops.
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