CBI trying to get kidney kingpin from Nepal: Vijay Shankar

New Delhi, Feb 8 (UNI) Expressing hope that good relations with Kathmandu would not impede the deportation of kidney scam kingpin Amit Kumar, the CBI today confirmed that it had information about the arrest of someone matching his description in Nepal.

''However, we have yet to receive a formal confirmation on the matter,'' CBI Director Vijay Shankar told the media today morning.

''We have not got a formal confirmation from Kathmandu that the one arrested is Amit Kumar, the kidney racket kingpin, but yes informally we have some reports that one person related to the kidney scam has been caught in Nepal.'' The CBI, as the nodal agency of Interpol in the country, is in contact with the Nepal government to confirm the identity and get him here, he said.

''We are pursuing the case in close proximity with Interpol Nepal and the Indian embassy there to verify Amit's identity and seek cooperation in getting him here.'' ''In the past, we have got good cooperation from Nepal in matters related to crime and hope this time too we would get the same level of support from them,'' said Mr Vijay Shankar.

On the CBI pursuing the kidney scam, he said the legal process to transfer the case to the central agency was not complete yet. ''The legal process was on.'' Sanjay Raut alias Dr Amit Kumar was reportedly arrested by the Nepalese police from a Wild Life Camp Hotel (resort) at Souraha in Nepal at about 1700 hrs yesterday and later brought to the District Police Office, Chitwan, along with one of his close aides, Manish Singh.

Sources said Amit's another accomplice managed to escape from the resort.

A bank draft of Indian Rs 936,000 and another of Euros 145,000, along with US Dollars 18,900 in cash was seized from his possession.

The mastermind behind an international racket in illegal kidney transplants, in operation for several years and whose network spread across at least five states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana besides Nepal, was arrested after Interpol issued a red corner notice against him following the uncovering of the scam last month.

Sources said suspicion among the staff of the hotel, where they checked-in on February 6, arose when the three tore kingpin Amit's photograph from the Indian newspapers lying at the reception.

After they informed the Chitwan police, which in turn informed officials in Kathmandu, a team raided the hotel yesterday and arrested him and his Nepalese aide.

Before arriving in Chitwan, Amit, said to have duped around 500 people into donating their kidneys. had stayed at Hotel Radisson in Kathmandu on January 28.

Five persons, including Amit's close aide Dr Upendra, have been arrested so far in connection with the nearly Rs 100 crore kidney scam, whose hub was in neighbouring Gurgaon, Haryana.

Investigations have revealed that at least three Turkish nationals had died during kidney transplants at Amit's hospital.

UNI AN PK HS1528