Mohali: Probe into the alleged kidney transplant racket has taken a significant turn, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) now suspecting that the transplant may not have been conducted at the Kharar-based hospital at all.The SIT, headed by superintendent of police (SP) Manpreet Singh, indicated that the investigators were exploring the possibility that another hospital or an external operation theatre (OT) facility, along with a qualified transplant surgeon, may have been involved and if the transplant was undertaken at the Kharar hospital, then there is a possibility of the involvement of a specialist. Though the hospital, had an ICU, its standards to treat pre or post-transplant are also yet to be established. The officials pointed out that the hospital in question did not possess the mandatory permissions required to carry out kidney transplant procedures under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994. This has raised serious concerns about how such a high-risk and regulated medical procedure could have been attempted or claimed without statutory approvals. The SP said, “The SIT is also examining whether the hospital had constituted the legally required evaluation mechanism, including a panel of transplant experts, a local social worker and a gazetted officer before conducting the kidney transplant. This panel is mandated to verify the legitimacy of donor-recipient relationships and scrutinise financial transactions to rule out any commercial dealings, particularly critical in cases involving non-related donors.” Preliminary findings suggest that the alleged donor is a Nepal national, while the recipient hails from Rajasthan, making the case fall under the “non-relative donor” category that requires stricter scrutiny and clearance from the district- or state-level authorization committee, said the police. Investigators are also seeking a detailed report from the civil surgeon’s office to verify whether any application or approval process was initiated. Adding another layer of concern, the SIT is probing why the accused doctor’s medical licence was not cancelled despite being booked twice earlier under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act in 2018 and 2023. The authorities reiterated that as per regulations overseen by bodies like the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization, no organ transplant can be conducted without prior approval from the designated authorization committee. Applications must be routed through authorised hospitals, and foreign donors require additional clearances, including embassy verification. The investigation continues to widen, with officials not ruling out the involvement of a broader interstate or cross-border network. The SIT has assured that all angles, including regulatory lapses and possible collusion, will be thoroughly examined. BOXHospital operating without any permission went unnoticed Dr Manpreet has been operating the said hospital in Kharar, which does not have any requisite permission to run a hospital, went unnoticed. Civil surgeon Dr Sangeeta Jain said, “We had allowed licence under the PNDT Act in her mother’s name and land in the name of Dr Manpreet, but later when teams raided in 2023, an ultrasound machine was sealed and her mother’s hospital operation licence under the PNDT Act was terminated. As the land given for establishing a hospital remained in the name of Dr Manpreet and another person who have now been booked, but we do not know whether she was conducting any surgeries or not or she had engaged any other specialists to do so. This will only be ascertained once she is arrested.” However, she said the hospital premises had now been sealed and ensured that no activity was undertaken at the premises. The civil surgeon also said once the SIT probe was completed, a report would also be sent to the Punjab Medical Council and the Indian Medical Association, informing them of the illegal activity undertaken at the hospital.
