The Toronto Star, February 16, 2008
Sonya Fatah
NEW DELHI, India–A junior New Delhi police inspector was arrested yesterday on charges of extortion as the probe into an alleged illegal kidney-transplant ring revealed that several officers had helped the accused and his associates get away when authorities were on his trail.
Similar charges have also been filed against six other officers, police spokesperson Satyendra Garg told the Indian television channel CNN-IBN. The six were still on the run yesterday.
The officers face extortion-related charges punishable by up to three years in jail.
Amit Kumar, an Indian-born doctor whose family lives in Brampton, has denied he led the ring that allegedly took up to 500 kidneys, often obtained from unwilling donors in Gurgaon, outside New Delhi.
News of police involvement in letting off key members of the alleged ring was revealed when Kumar’s driver was arrested and allegedly told investigators police had been paid about $45,000 in January so that the accused could evade arrest.
Garg confirmed that Ravinder Kumar Singh, an assistant sub-inspector in New Delhi’s police force, was arrested and that the others were still being sought.
Meanwhile police raided the home of Kumar’s in-laws in Pathankot in Jammu. Indian media reported that several family members were detained for five hours and questioned.
Kumar, dubbed “Dr. Horror” by the India media, was turned over to Indian authorities last week after being apprehended in Nepal.
He has insisted he is innocent and never removed donors’ kidneys without their written permission.
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