The Hindu : Kerala News : CBI probe into kidney racket sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

CBI probe into kidney racket sought

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE, JUNE 5. M. Mohammed Ali, former State president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has demanded a CBI inquiry into the racket involving trade in kidneys in the light of the preliminary report prepared by the Inspector General of Police, Jacob Punnoose, on the alleged racket.

Speaking at a press conference along with Jomon Puthanpurackal, human rights activist, here today, Dr. Ali said the IG's report, prepared for the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), had confirmed the allegations that racketeering in kidney trade was going on in the State. The report had also confirmed the charges made in a report prepared by a three-member ethics committee of the IMA after conducting an inquiry into the alleged kidney trade.

(Dr. Ali was the chairman of the IMA ethics committee which conducted the probe. Dr. Ali had resigned his post alleging that the final report that the IMA State leadership released on the issue did not reflect the findings of the ethics committee. While resigning, he had also alleged that the IMA State committee had tampered with the ethics committee's report, particularly his views, ``to shield private hospitals and doctors involved in the racket''.)

Dr. Ali alleged that the Government had so far been cold to the demand for a thorough and impartial inquiry.

When the news of the racket triggered public protests, the State Government had ordered an inquiry by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) into the racket. But his report had not been published so far. On a petition by Mr. Puthanpurackal, the SHRC had ordered a probe by Mr. Punnoose, who is attached to the Commission.

The IG had submitted his interim investigative report to the SHRC in March 2003, but it came to light only early this week.

Dr. Ali and Mr. Puthanpurackal said that since there were strong reasons to suspect that ``influential people in the Government had tried to hush up the racket'', there should be a CBI inquiry. They also warned that if the Government failed to order a CBI probe, they would take the matter to the High Court.

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