Kidney racket case: CBI wants modification in HC order

On May 9,Justice Surya Kant had ordered,“…with a view to ensure that the trial reaches to a logical conclusion,it is imperative to ensure that the statements of the donors who are the actual victims of the racket,are firstly recorded before considering the release of the petitioners( Dr Amit Kumar and his lab technician Manoj Kumar) on bail.”

The High Court (HC) had further given directions to Special Judge,Panchkula,that he “shall conduct the trial on day-to-day basis till the statements of all the alleged victims/donors are recorded”. As the accused had been in jail for three years,the HC had asked to consider their bail applications after recording their statements.

Another reason,the Court observed,was that the victims could be influenced as they had donated the kidneys out of poverty. Hence,before deciding the bail,recording their statements was necessary.

Meanwhile,the court has allowed B-class facilities for another accused,Dr Krishan Kumar,lodged in Ambala jail. His counsel,Manbir Singh Rathi,submitted that Dr Kumar had been a qualified doctor and should not be kept in the usual barracks. He will now get separate accommodation.

Dr Amit,his brother Jeewan,Dr Krishan Kumar,lab technician Manoj,middle man Giyasuddin,Dr Upinder,nurse Linda,Dr Saraj and middle man Jagdish,have already been chargesheeted. The kidney racket had surfaced on January 24,2008 when UP and Gurgaon police raided a house in Sector 22 in Gurgaon. Many people were lured for donation of their kidneys and were allegedly paid between Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000. The kidneys were then allegedly sold between Rs 8 to10 lakh each.

According to the CBI,Dr Amit Kumar,the mastermind,used to run two hospitals under the banner of Liberty Health Care Private Limited in Gurgaon.