Kidney transplant racket: Chennai-based surgeon held

Hyderabad: Dr Rajasekhar Perumalla, one of the two surgeons who allegedly performed illegal kidney transplants, was arrested by Saroornagar police on Monday after being brought from Tamil Nadu.The Chennai-based doctor had been in custody since Jan 24 following his arrest, and was subsequently produced in a lower court where a transit warrant was issued. He was later brought to Hyderabad and presented before the Rangareddy court, which ordered his judicial remand.Police suspect that Dr Rajasekhar is the same surgeon involved in the 2023 Visakhapatnam kidney racket case. During brief questioning, he reportedly confessed to his involvement in the illegal transplant surgeries.Dr Rajasekhar explained that he first met Pavan, the fugitive agent, while he was in the aqua business. "Over time, Pavan offered him to be part of the illegal kidney transplants," Rachakonda police told TOI.Police are now preparing to file a petition in the local court for his custodial interrogation. "Due to time constraints, we were unable to conduct a detailed interrogation," said an officer.Pavan and Laxman, two key agents who orchestrated the illegal transplants, are still at large. These agents would arrange the surgeries by fixing deals and booking hospitals, before calling in surgeons like Dr Rajasekhar to carry out the procedures. They also arranged flight tickets for the doctors involved, sources said. Dr Rajasekhar, who has reportedly worked in several hospitals, is now under scrutiny in connection with both the 2023 Visakhapatnam case and the current kidney racket.