Inspired by 3 Idiots character, kingpin of Delhi kidney racket started at similar gang in Rajasthan

“He has worked as an OT technician for over 20 years… Around three-four years ago, he came in contact with a Rajasthan-based gang that sold kidneys illegally and he operated on many patients. Soon, he realised he can make more money by starting his own gang,” said an officer.

Police said Ray was inspired by the Bollywood movie, Three Idiots, and calls himself ‘Rancho’ because he felt he was a “gifted” surgeon.

The ‘hospital’ from where the gang operated functioned out of a two-storey house in Sonepat’s Gohana owned by another gang member, Sonu Rohilla (37). Police said Rohilla, a Class X dropout who used to work as an OT technician at hospitals in Rohtak, allegedly carried out the procedures here – despite not being a qualified doctor – along with other doctors and technicians from prominent hospitals.

Police said he and Ray set up the hospital illegally. Police said Ray also sourced the equipment, medicines and supplies from in and around Delhi.

Police sources said the doctor who was arrested, Sourabh Mittal (37), an anesthesiologist, also allegedly worked for the Rajasthan gang and was later offered a role in Ray’s gang. He was allegedly being paid Rs 1.5-2.5 lakh for administering anaesthesia to patients at Gohana and examining medical reports.

Police said Mittal, a graduate from Maulana Azad Medical College, works at BL Kapoor Hospital. The management from BLK hospital had issued a statement saying: “It has been brought to our attention that some personnel working at BLK-Max Hospital have been allegedly involved in illegal surgical work at a hospital in Gohana, Haryana. We have no knowledge about this and are assisting the authorities in their investigation.”

Delhi Police are now looking for those running the Rajasthan-based kidney selling syndicate.

According to police, the gang has been operating for close to a year and has allegedly transplanted over 14 kidneys in the last six months – at least two surgeries were performed by them per month. Police said the accused would usually perform the surgeries at night and keep the hospital shut during the day.

The gang had given specific tasks to each member – ‘agents’ were tasked with looking for “young men in their 20s; a lab technician Md Latif (among those arrested) would help with medical tests; and other set of ‘agents’ would send patients to Gohana where doctors and medical workers would operate on them”.

The Indian Express spoke to two people who were targeted by the gang – one of whom donated a kidney – as part of an organ racket. Both had been hit financially because of the pandemic, which made them easy targets for exploitation.

According to DCP (South) Benita Mary Jaiker, on May 26, they received inputs from an informer about the gang’s illegal activities near AIIMS hospital. Police then arrested one of the gang members, Sarvjeet Jailwal, who was with one of their targets, Pintu Yadav, at a lab.

Yadav was brought to the lab on the pretext of treating his abdomen pain but Jailwal was forcing him to give up his kidney, said police.

Police said Yadav led them to a DDA flat in Paschim Vihar where another associate, Shailesh Patel (23), was arrested and three victims were found. Police conducted further raids and arrested two more accused, Vikas (24) and Ranjit Gupta.

Sources said Vikas had rented two DDA flats in Paschim Vihar a few months ago. He recently got married and shifted to one flat while the other was being used to house kidney donors after the operation. “Vikas, Shailesh and Ranjit have also donated their kidneys for money in Delhi and Rajasthan,” said an officer.