A Bengal teacher fulfilled his mother’s last wish to donate her eyes; then police arrested him

The issue turned volatile, locals gathered in thousands, started agitating, not allowing the son to take the body for cremation. They all kept demanding a post-mortem, accusing the son of selling her key organs.

As per sources, the police arrived and initiated dialogue with protestors and shifted Sheikh to a room. Later, a complaint was filed, and the police arrested Sheikh and four other family members, including three women and a man.

Activists have since produced a pledge certificate signed by Rabiya Bibi on October 17, 2024. The document confirmed that she had pledged her eyes through Ganadarpan, a prominent NGO that has been advocating for organ donation since the 1970s.

‘Sheikh has been working to create awareness’

The arrests have drawn sharp criticism from social workers and human rights defenders who claim the police acted prematurely and without a basic probe.

“We condemn the arrests. These people must be released immediately. Amir Chand Sheikh has actually been working to create awareness about organ donation,” Sudipta Saha Roy, general secretary, Ganadarpan, told the media.

Human rights activist Ranjit Sur said, “This shows how illiterate the police are regarding the law. They claimed the family couldn’t produce the deceased’s consent, but heirs’ consent is what matters most in these cases. This will negatively impact organ donation efforts overall.”

Outside the court, a distraught Sheikh attributed the ordeal to local malice. “It is nothing but jealousy of neighbours. Instead of praising us, our society is arresting us,” he said.

The police maintained that they were forced to act due to a specific criminal complaint and a volatile situation on the ground.

Sambhab Jain, Additional Superintendent of Police (headquarters), said that while they are now privy to the family’s defence and the surfacing documents, “Selling organs is a heinous crime” and must be investigated.

Police to organise organ donation awareness programmes

Speaking to The Indian Express, Krishnanagar SP K Amarnath said, “The complaint was of a serious nature. A section of the family alleged that the organs were sold off. There was a massive protest and an attempt to lynch the accused, so the police safely removed them and produced them before the court.”

“The court sent them in judicial custody, citing a detailed post-mortem report. The post-mortem confirms that no other organs are missing, apart from the cornea. Seems like there is no awareness regarding organ donation in the area. With the local NGO, we are now going to organise organ donation-related awareness programmes,” he added.

The Krishnagar court has remanded Chand and other family members to judicial custody for three days while the investigation continues.