Kanpur kidney racket case: How a fake doctor with Class 12 education ran 30 surgeries

In a major breakthrough, Kanpur police have arrested 34-year-old Rohit Tewari, a Class XII passout who allegedly posed as a doctor and managed around 30 illegal kidney transplant surgeries. The arrest comes weeks after a crackdown on a multi-city organ trade network that lured poor people with money and sold kidneys to wealthy patients at massive profits, a TOI report stated.

Kanpur Kidney News: Arrest after weeks on the run

Police said Rohit Tewari had been evading arrest since March 31, moving between Goa, Kathmandu, Manali and Shimla. He carried a bounty of Rs 25,000. Investigators tracked him down after multiple raids exposed the scale of the racket.

The case first came to light when police raided Ahuja Hospital in Maswanpur following a tip-off. Officials discovered that illegal transplants were not limited to one location but were being carried out across several hospitals in the city.

Kanpur kidney transplant network that crossed cities and borders

The syndicate’s reach extended far beyond Kanpur. Police said links were found in Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and even Nepal. The accused allegedly used Telegram to contact vulnerable individuals and convince them to sell kidneys for Rs 5-10 lakh. These organs were then sold to affluent patients for Rs 60 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

Police commissioner Raghubir Lal said Rohit admitted during questioning that he was only a Class XII passout but posed as a doctor. Investigators recovered photographs showing him wearing a stethoscope and apron. In several images, he appeared to be inside an operation theatre performing procedures.

Inside the hospitals: No records, no accountability

Raids after March 31 revealed shocking lapses. At Priya Hospital in Panki Kalyanpur, a woman had undergone a transplant. At another facility, Medlife Hospital in Awas Vikas Kalyanpur, a student from Begusarai in Bihar was found admitted.

The student told police he had been approached by Shivam Agrawal, an ambulance driver he met through Telegram. Shivam persuaded him using examples of public figures.

He said, “even megastar Amitabh Bachchan is living with one kidney and is still active in films.” He also cited spiritual leader Premanand Maharaj. Convinced by these arguments, the student agreed to sell one of his kidneys.

Investigators found that hospitals allegedly skipped basic medical procedures. No proper files were created for patients, and no Bed Head Ticket (BHT) was prepared for donors. After surgery, treatment details were written on plain paper without official stamps.

Kidney Transplany Racket Mastermind and Key Arrests

So far, police have arrested the owner couple of Ahuja Hospital, Dr Surjit Ahuja and Preeti Ahuja, along with broker Shivam Agrawal and nine others. During interrogation, officials identified Rohit as the mastermind behind the operation.

Two more accused — Dr Afzal from Meerut and OT technician Mudassar Ali — were also named. Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for information leading to their arrest.

Deaths raise serious concerns

Police said several patients who underwent these illegal surgeries or donated kidneys under the racket’s operations have died. Officials believe the lack of proper medical training and fake identities played a major role.