Dr Amit Kumar sent to judicial custody till Mar 26

Jaipur, Feb 26: The alleged mastermind in a kidney transplant racket, Dr. Amit Kumar has been sent to judicial custody till March 26.

He was produced before a special Court in Jaipur. "He was brought here by Haryana police from Ambala. Charges would be framed and trial would start on him on March 26 when he would be produced before court next," said K. K. Bhatnagar, Public Prosecutor. Prime accused in the multi-crore-kidney scam, Dr Amit Kumar, 40, was flown from Kathmandu on February 9 by a three-member CBI team. He was arrested in Chitwan in Nepal on February 7 and is wanted by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh police in connection with an inter-state and international kidney transplant scam.

On February 18, a court here had remanded Dr. Jeevan Kumar, the brother and key aide of Amit, to CBI custody till February 29.

The CBI has claimed that Jeevan has been involved in management of alleged illegal kidney transplant surgeries.

Jeevan had been absconding since January 24 when the racket was busted in Gurgaon. The Interpol had issued a Red Corner notice against him and Amit on February 1.

With Jeevan's arrest, the authorities claimed to have detained all the four key accused in the multi-crore racket.

Amit and others have been charged under several sections, including violation of the Human Organ Transplant Act. They have been accused of having forced or duped around 500 people, mostly from the underprivileged sections of society, into donating their kidneys.

At least five foreigners -- two U.S. and three Greek citizens -- were found last month in a luxury guesthouse in Gurgaon, which was part of the racket, police said.

ANI