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The Telangana Crime Investigation Department (CID) has intensified its crackdown on an inter-state human organ trafficking racket with the arrest of a 36-year-old anaesthesiologist from Visakhapatnam. Officials confirmed that Dr. Ruttala Venkata Rama Santosh Naidu was apprehended on Friday for his alleged role in facilitating illegal kidney transplant surgeries across multiple private hospitals in Hyderabad.
The case first came to light at Alakananda Multi-Speciality Hospital in Kothapet, Saroornagar, after the Deputy District Medical and Health Officer filed a complaint. Following preliminary inquiries, local police at Saroornagar registered a case, which was later transferred to the CID on April 24 for a deeper probe into the organ trafficking syndicate.
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Illegal Surgeries at Hyderabad Hospitals
According to investigators, Dr. Santosh Naidu assisted fellow accused doctors Rajasekhar and Avinash in conducting illicit transplant operations at Alakananda, Janani, and Aruna hospitals. Authorities revealed that he played a crucial role by administering anaesthesia to both donors and recipients, ensuring the surgeries proceeded under a veneer of medical legitimacy.
The CID noted that the prime accused, Pamulapati Pavan Kumar, allegedly coordinated the entire racket and frequently hired Dr. Santosh from Visakhapatnam to oversee the anaesthetic requirements. Officials believe this arrangement allowed the group to exploit vulnerable individuals under the guise of organ donation.
Expanding Investigation and Arrests
So far, 19 individuals, including medical professionals and facilitators, have been arrested in connection with the case. The CID stated that more suspects are under the scanner as the probe extends beyond Telangana into other states. On Friday, Dr. Santosh was produced before the LB Nagar Magistrate in Hyderabad and remanded to judicial custody. Investigators are also scrutinizing the role of private hospitals that allegedly provided cover for the illegal procedures.
Authorities said the case underscores the growing challenge of combating human organ trafficking in India, where strict laws under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, exist, but enforcement remains a concern.
