SC Refuses Relief To Chandrapur Kidney Transplant Racket Accused

Nagpur: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with two orders passed by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court against Delhi-based doctor Ravinder Pal Singh, one of the principal accused in the alleged illegal kidney transplantation racket in Chandrapur being probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).A division bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed Singh's special leave petitions challenging separate HC rulings relating to anticipatory bail and quashing of the chargesheet, effectively allowing the investigation and trial process to continue.The first petition, filed through senior counsel Siddharth Luthra, arose from an HC order holding that Singh's anticipatory bail plea was not maintainable because he had already been arrested in connection with the case. Upholding the HC view, the apex court asked the accused to pursue a regular bail application before the appropriate court.In another order, the high court had refused interim relief over Singh's plea seeking quashing of the chargesheet and a stay on further proceedings in the criminal case.During the hearing, the SC bench was informed that the case involved a "transborder investigation" with multiple accused and allegations of an organised illegal kidney transplant network spanning different states. The prosecution, led by senior counsel and govt pleader Deven Chauhan, assisted by advocates Siddharth Dharmadhikari and Aditya Pandey, submitted that two prominent doctors linked to the case are allegedly evading arrest for a considerable period.The court was told that investigators had collected substantial material against the accused and that the chargesheet filed in the matter runs to nearly 7,000 pages.The case came to light after Chandrapur resident Roshan Kule, a debt-ridden farmer from Nagbhid taluka, underwent an illegal kidney transplant in Cambodia. Later, investigators uncovered a much wider organ trafficking syndicate that allegedly exploited poor and financially distressed individuals across India.