Chandrapur: In a major development in the high-profile kidney racket case linked to Nagbhid resident Roshan Kule, a Brahmapuri court on Saturday remanded Delhi-based surgeon Dr Ravinder Pal Singh, one of the prime accused, to 10 days of police custody till July 6, giving investigators an opportunity to intensify the probe.Police had sought Singh’s custodial interrogation after securing a production warrant, arguing his questioning was crucial to uncover the alleged organ trafficking network, identify other accused and trace the financial transactions behind the illegal kidney transplants.Singh, who had remained absconding for a couple of months, surrendered before the Brahmapuri court on Wednesday through his lawyer. He was initially sent to judicial custody before police moved the court seeking his custody for further investigation.The case came to light after Nagbhid resident Roshan Kule alleged his kidney had been illegally removed in Cambodia, exposing a suspected international organ trafficking racket. During the investigation, police identified Singh and co-accused Dr Rajaratnam Govindasamy as key players in the network.Investigators allege kidney recipients were charged between 50-80 lakh, while donors received only 5-8 lakh. Singh allegedly received 10 lakh for each transplant procedure, while Govindasamy was paid 20 lakh for facilitating surgeries and hospital arrangements.Three accused have been arrested in the case so far, while Govindasamy and another accused, Shyamal Paul, remain absconding.Police believe Singh’s custodial interrogation will be critical in establishing full extent of the racket, suspected to have involved nearly 50 illegal kidney transplants across Maharashtra and other states, although 11 victims have been officially identified so far.
