Kidney scamsters still roaming free

Hyderabad: Three months after the death of Hyderabadi Dinesh Maroo, who was taken to Lanka for kidney transplant surgery by racketeers, his family is still awaiting justice. Though the police had arrested three agents from Hyderabad, the main racketeers, including the Lankan doctor, are still free. Despite approaching the police, the Indian High Commission in Colombo, and the PMO Maroo’s family has not got the postmortem report. Police says that the case is almost closed as the Indian High Commission has not responded.

Dinesh Maroo, 26, died in Lanka on March 30. The police said he died after drinking beer. Police took the testimony of three kidney agents and said that Dinesh went to the beach a day before his surgery, and died after vomiting. They also confirmed that his kidney was not removed. Dinesh’s brother Ganesh Maroo asks how the police can confirm the cause of death without getting the postmortem report.

"We have been approaching different authorities to get the report. I sent letters to the PM, external affairs minister, and the Indian High Commission in Colombo. It's three months now, no response so far," a distressed Ganesh said.

City police officials could not proceed further as the kingpins are based in Lanka. Senior cops pointed out the complications in the case and said the Indian High Commission or Interpol has to help to arrest the racketeers.

The police probe showed that a Lankan named 'Monik' organised the kidney trade from India, and brought as many as 21 people from the country to Colombo for transplant surgery in the beginning of this year. The doctor sold kidneys for Rs 30 to Rs 50 lakh each to hospitals in Lanka, but gave only Rs 5 to 15 lakh to the victims.