Kidney racket: Apollo docs likely to be quizzed again tomorrow

Intensifying probe into the sensational Indraprastha Apollo Hospital kidney racket case, the Delhi Police on Sunday quizzed senior nephrologists, including Dr Ashok Sarin, and members of the hospital’s Internal Authorisation Committee, sources said

They added that the interrogation was not complete and the persons concerned have been asked to join the probe again on Tuesday. 

The investigation is being carried out by the Special investigation Team (SIT) at the Deputy Commissioner of Police’s office in Sarita Vihar, opposite to the hospital.  

According to sources, the hospital management could face more trouble after the completion of the interrogation   persons. The hospital’s doctors’ panel and senior nephrologists could be booked for negligence under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Transplant of Human Organ Act (THOA).

On Friday, the Delhi Police had issued individual notices to two senior nephrologists and the committee that includes hospital doctors (who were not part of the surgery), independent doctors and a government doctor.

However, senior police officials refused to comment on the outcome of the integration conducted on Sunday, saying that the probe was still not complete and they were likely to interrogate the persons concerned again on Tuesday.

“There is a high possibility that within a couple of days, action could be taken against the doctors, whose names have cropped up in the investigation. However, their  direct or indirect involvement is yet to be ascertained,” the source said, adding that the SIT had reached the final stage of investigation related to the doctors’ role in the kidney racket. 

“Action will be taken once each one of them is intensively quizzed, so that harsher charges can be slapped against them,” the source added.  

Two secretarial staff of  Dr Sarin – Aditya Singh and Shailesh Saxena – used to help touts in getting the files cleared from the doctors’ committee. The duo was the first to be arrested. 

During investigation, it came to light that Dr Sarin had allegedly signed blank papers and had given permission to the duo to use them in case of an emergency. The police have seized some of those documents.

A personal secretary of another senior nephrologist (to whom a summon has already been sent) was also arrested. 

“The committee consists of doctors of the hospital, independent staff and a government doctor. Their work is to verify the documents, willingness of the donors, relationship of a donor with a recipient, proof of address/identification, proof of marriage and marriage photograph. But the committee was not investigating them properly. As a result, the touts were providing fake documents that were easily approved by them,” said a senior police official.