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Kidney racket kingpin led lavish life in Canada

Toronto: Amit Kumar, the alleged kingpin in the massive kidney racket, led a lavish life while posing as a heart surgeon in Canada.

He told his neighbours that he wanted to migrate to Canada after winding up his “business” in India.

Amit , against whom an Interpol red corner notice was issued after his illegal kidney selling network was unearthed, his wife Poonam Amit, and their two sons moved into their Brampton home last April and the children attended a private school, his neighbours said.

Except for Amit , the rest of the family remains barricaded behind security doors at their home, Toronto Star reported on Sunday . The couple bought the four-bedroom home in the predominantly Indian neighbourhood of Bovaird in April 2007 for $ 610,000. It said the kidney scandal shocked the quiet neighbourhood. Amit reportedly told neighbours that he was a cardiovascular surgeon with clients around the world, but he never mentioned anything about kidneys, it said.

Amit , who the Indian police say is not a surgeon, was last seen in Brampton before Christmas driving a leased $ 65,000 Lexus 350 SUV. While some found him “standoffish,” others said he seemed to be upfront and candid.

“I’m absolutely in shock,” said the neighbour, calling Amit a “gem of guy” who brought him gifts from his trips to India. “This is strange. I’m baffled. I feel so let down.”

Amit told him he was going back to India to wind down his businesses, which he said included a hotel, a hospital and several clinics. Amit planned to open a hotel in Canada upon his return and was going to live and work here, he said. — PTI

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