Police 'accepted kidney bribes'

New Delhi: A Delhi Police official was arrested on Friday for allegedly accepting a bribe from kidney scam kingpin Amit Kumar. Six other police officers thought to have accepted bribes to let off Kumar have fled.

Assistant sub-inspector Ravinder Kumar was arrested and taken to the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate A.K. Kohar, who sentenced him to four days' judicial custody.

On the directions of Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal, Delhi Police yesterday registered a case against seven of its personnel for accepting bribes from the kidney kingpin Amit Kumar, who was caught last week in Nepal.

The six police officers are said to have been bribed by Upendra Aggarwal, a key associate of Kumar. Upendra was the first to be arrested when the racket was unearthed on January 24 in a Gurgaon clinic run by Kumar, alias Santosh Rameshwar Raut.

"We have registered a case and are investigating the matter," Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said.

Police sources said the case against the officials was registered after Kumar, who reportedly conducted 600 illegal kidney transplants, confessed during interrogation by CBI sleuths.

Earlier this month, Gurgaon Police Commissioner Mahendra Lal blamed Delhi Police officials for extorting money from Upendra to let off Kumar.

Harpal, Kumar's driver, during his interrogation revealed that Delhi policemen picked up Kumar and his brother Jeewan in December, but let them go, Mahendra Lal said.

Extorted

The brothers were allowed to go after three inspectors and a constable extorted a large amount of money from them.

Harpal also revealed that Delhi Police officials had thrice taken bribes from Amit and Jeewan, indicating they were well aware of the thriving kidney racket but did not bother to act or inform Gurgaon Police.

Delhi Police once arrested the brothers after registering a case of illegal organ transplant at the Nizammudin police station in 2001. However, they were released on bail.

The multi-billion-rupee racket of kidney transplants served international clients from Britain, the US, Greece, Lebanon, Canada and Saudi Arabia.