The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo moto cognisance of an illegal organ transplant racket operating across Rajasthan and Haryana. It has issued notices to the chief secretaries and Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of both states.
The NHRC's notice follows revelations made by the Health department of the Haryana government, which uncovered an illegal organ trade network spanning Rajasthan and Haryana.
The commission highlighted a specific incident where authorities in Haryana conducted a raid at a hotel in Gurugram's Sector 39. During the raid, a Bangladeshi citizen alleged that his kidneys were unlawfully removed during a surgery at a hospital in Jaipur. Subsequently, he was sent to the hotel for post-operative care.
The Bangladeshi national, reportedly a mobile shop owner in Bangladesh, claimed that he was brought to India under a fake passport by an agent named Mohammed Murtaza Ansari, based in Ranchi.
Expressing concern over the illegal organ trade, particularly kidney trafficking which often exploits impoverished individuals and violates their right to life, the NHRC has demanded a comprehensive report on the matter. This report is expected to include details on the status of FIRs filed and any arrests made in connection with the illegal organ transplant racket.
The uncovering of this illegal organ transplant racket began when officials from the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) in Rajasthan apprehended a Upper Division Clerk (UDC) employed at the state-operated Sawai Man Singh hospital in Jaipur, along with coordinators from two private hospitals. They were arrested for allegedly fabricating no objection certificates (NOCs) necessary for organ transplants involving both donors and recipients.
