PRAYAGRAJ: A 36-year-old man's death in a Prayagraj hospital earlier this week after being transfused platelets allegedly watered down with mosambi (sweet lime) juice on Friday led police to a 10-member gang peddling doctored blood products, including plasma for Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 a pouch.
A joint team of the special operations group and Kotwali police station arrested all 10 accused and seized from them 18 pouches purportedly containing unverified plasma, three of platelets, around Rs 1 lakh in cash, 13 mobile phones and three two-wheelers.
The gang had been operating from Gobar Gali along SRN Hospital Road. The seized blood products have been sent for laboratory testing, officials said.
The crackdown was part of an investigation ordered by the district administration after the family of the dengue patient who died following transfusion claimed that the platelets given to him looked "thin" and, on inspection, turned out to be made of mosambi juice.
The family said his condition deteriorated after he received three units of platelets that cost Rs 9,000 at a private hospital in Dhoomanganj. The patient died on October 17 after being shifted to a Georgetown hospital. Deputy CM and state health minister Brajesh Pathak said strict action would be taken against all those involved in the racket.
The arrested gang members were identified as Pradeep Kumar, Yogeshwar Singh, Pravin Patel, Vikas Patel, Abhshik Patel, Sarfaraj, Dilip Shukla, Sushil Pandey, Dilip Patel and Raghvendra Patel, all residents of trans-Ganga and its adjoining areas. "They were involved in this for long," an official said.
The probe team Friday summoned the authorities of both private hospitals where the victim was treated, besides recording the statements of his family members. The Dhoomanganj hospital had been sealed the previous night.
Additional chief medical officer Dr A K Tiwari told TOI, "We are collecting the records and reports to identify the cause of death. The probe should reveal the exact substance that was injected."
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Kapil Dixit is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communi...
Read MoreKapil Dixit is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communications. He has covered crime at regional as well as state level. His hobbies include reading, writing and meeting people with diverse interests.
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