Kidney transplant scam: Punjab gets notice from NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today issued a notice to the Punjab Government on the state’s kidney racket, exposed by a r...

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today issued a notice to the Punjab Government on the state’s kidney racket, exposed by a report in The Indian Express on January 19.

Taking suo moto cognisance of the issue, the commission today sought a response from the Punjab Government in two weeks. NHRC had also received a letter on January 23 from senior advocates Ram Jethmalani, human rights activists Jawid Laiq, advocates Lataa Krishnamurti, Kamini Jaiswal and Ashok Kumar Singh with regard to the scam.

The letter expressed shock over the The Indian Express report and called for the NHRC’s intervention. he January 19 report had talked of the Rs 150-scam racket, masterminded by a senior nephro-surgeon of a renowned hospital and the principal of a government medical college of Punjab who reportedly gave permission for illegal transplants as the chairman of the authorisation committee.

The report also stated that at least 300 labourers had lost their kidneys and 20 to 25 had lost their lives in this racket, which has been going on since 2001.

The complainants, in their letter to the Commission, also reiterated that the poor victims who were forced to sell their kidneys to save themselves from starvation had been further victimised by being imprisoned. They requested the Commission to take immediate steps to get them released from custody and arrange for urgent medical care. ‘‘Otherwise the state would be guilty of the grossest human rights violation,’’ they stated.

Taking cognizance of the report and the complaint, the Commission issued notice to the chief secretary and Director-General of Police (DGP), Punjab, to report to the Commission on the number of kidney donors now in jail and whether any medical facilities was being provided to them.