Villagers donate kidneys, agent makes money

By D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

BHADRACHALAM, FEB. 26. A thriving trade in human organs has stalked Reddipalem, a tiny village near the temple town of Bhadrachalam. More than a dozen persons, including some poor farmers, have sold their kidneys for a pittance.

Police have identified half of them and launched a thorough inquiry into the operations of a Hyderabad-based agent who picked up a majority of the `donors' by striking a deal with them. The exact number of people who have sold their kidneys is yet to be established.

Police have also been in touch with specialist surgeons of some leading hospitals to ascertain whether the donations and transplantation were done by fulfilling all the legal formalities. Some of the donors admitted that they were made to appear before the panel of medical authorities concerned with fictitious names. At the behest of the agent they posed themselves as close relatives the patients in need of the kidneys.

The kidneys fetched Rs. 55,000 each while the agent was alleged to have taken a substantial cut from each deal. Most victims hardly knew the persons to whom they donated; nor do they what amount the kidneys fetched. Police suspect the involvement of an organised gang in the trade. A booking clerk of a private bus service questioned by police revealed that the agent who organised the donations had been visiting the temple town frequently. On each visit he used pick up two or three persons from the area. He claimed to be taking them as workers for his hotel in Hyderabad. Some were taken in after he assured them that they would be paid on reaching Hyderabad.

Modus operandi

Mr. Bingi Lakshmi Narayana, a small farmer from Reddipalem, sold his kidney six months ago to buy an autorickshaw. ``I took the decision as I found it difficult to survive on the income from the half-acre land in my possession,'' he said. He also had an ailing mother to support. The broker, who arranged the deal with a patient from Gujarat, wanted him to pose as Rajesh Takoria before the panel of medical authorities scrutinising the donors and applicants.

He said he insisted on more money, but the broker did not yield on the plea that persons from Guntur were ready to sell their kidneys for even less. He was paid Rs. 55,000 of which he spent Rs. 5,000 towards medical expenses for problems he developed after returning to the village. He did manage to repay the loans he had availed from friends, but he was left with hardly Rs. 10,000 - not enough to buy an autorickshaw.

A bus driver, Mr. Valipireddy Hanumanta Rao, who had for quite some been working in a local factory, sold his kidney without the involvement of any broker about 10 months ago. He was initially driving the ambulance vehicle of the factory and while taking patients to Hyderabad he came in contact with persons in need of blood of his group and kidneys that suited them. He said he decided to sell the kidney hoping to make at least Rs. 1 lakh. He had to wait long for a good price.

But the wait did not fetch him more than what others got from the broker. He said he wanted to create fixed deposits for his two daughters, Sirisha and Navya. But instead, he went for an autorickshaw for Rs. 24,000 as a better investment.

Mr. Tipparthy Venkateswara Chary, from the same village, sold his kidney six months ago - to repay debts. He had borrowed Rs. 25,000 last year to get his two sisters married. A computers engineer from Hyderabad affected by kidney failure offered him Rs. 55,000 and he readily agreed to the deal.

Mr. Mangapati Srinivasa Reddy, who sold his kidney some time ago, died in a road accident recently. Another donor, Mr. Bingi Raju, left for Charla last year. Many residents in the village have contacts with the Hyderabad-based agent and every deal arranged by him was without the other's knowledge. The donors never came out with the truth fearing society would look down on them for having sold their organs, said Mr. Chary.

A special team of police is leaving for Hyderabad for detailed investigations.

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