Indian doctor and three Bangladeshis arrested in cross-border kidney transplant racket

Last week, Delhi police arrested Dr. Vijaya Kumari from Indraprastha Apollo Hospital for her alleged role in a kidney transplant racket spanning Bangladesh and India. The Indian Express reported that three Bangladeshis were also arrested last month in connection with the case. Allegedly, forged documents from the Bangladesh High Commission were used to fake relationships between donors and recipients. Kumari, suspended by Apollo, reportedly performed 15-16 transplants at Noida’s Yatharth Hospital between 2021 and 2023. Middlemen, including Rasel from Kushtia and his associates, lured Bangladeshi donors to Delhi, promising 4-5 lakh rupees per kidney, while recipients were charged 25-30 lakh rupees. The network coordinated through Al Shifa, a medical tourism company. Rasel rented a flat for donors to stay and meet recipients. During the arrests, police found nine passports and transaction records. Kumari was a visiting consultant at Yatharth, not on Apollo’s payroll.