Rs 10,000 bribe sped up kidney NOC: Witness in organ scam

MUMBAI: An Andheri resident reportedly told the police investigating the organ bribery scam case that after paying a Rs 10,000 bribe to J J Hospital social worker Tushar Savarkar (34), he received the no objection certificate (NOC) for his kidney transplant within 24 hours. He was earlier told the NOC would take around 15-20 days.

The 32-year-old man is among the 33 witnesses whose statements are part of the chargesheet submitted by the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Friday against Savarkar and Sachin Salve (32), a coordinator at S L Raheja-Fortis Hospital.

In October 2018, the ACB had registered a case against Savarkar and Salve after they allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 80,000 from relatives of kidney failure patient Jamaluddin Khan to process his transplant request. The ACB told the court that the initial bribe amount sought was Rs 1.5 lakh. Khan was to receive a kidney from his brother-in-law’s wife. The duo was arrested and subsequently granted bail after the prosceution failed to submit the chargesheet within the stipulated 60-day period after their arrests.

During investigation, the ACB came across the witness who alleged that he too had paid a bribe to Savarkar on Salve’s advice. The witness said in 2017 he fell ill and later found out that both his kidneys had failed. He said he was receiving treatment at a clinic in Malad. The witness said his 60-year-old mother-in-law agreed to donate her kidney. He said he was then referred to S L Raheja Hospital and he began preparing the paperwork. The witness told the ACB that Salve said he needed a clearance from the state authorization committee at J J Hospital and the papers were then forwarded to Savarkar.

The witness said Salve told him the NOC would take 15-20 days but if he needed it immediately he could go to Savarkar. The witness said Salve told him that he would have to give some amount as bribe to Savarkar.

He told the ACB that on September 4, 2018, a meeting was scheduled at J J regarding his file. After the meeting, he met Savarkar and asked for a quick NOC in his cabin. The witness said Savarkar asked for the money. He said he gave Rs 10,000 to Savarkar on the same day and received the NOC the following day, on September 5, 2018.

Other witnesses include complainant Mohammed Siddiqui, a friend of the patient, doctors from the state authorization committee, Dr Sanjay Surase, medical superintendent of J J, and Dr T P Lahane, former dean of J J. In his statement, Surase vouched for all other staff at J J, claiming no one from the staff was not involved.

The ACB procured a transcript of the alleged conversation between the complainant and the two accused. The SD card of the conversation was sent to FSL and reports are awaited.