more-in The State Home Department sat on complaints of rampant organ trading, sent to the government at least a month before a kidney transplant racket was busted at Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy (JJ) and SL Raheja hospitals recently, activists have said. ‘Avoidable incident’ Activists from Mahim, Bandra and Dongri had written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the department, requesting directives to 93 police stations to crack down on a mafia of drug peddlers, hospital staff and doctors involved in organ trading. If somebody from the government had taken cognisance of the complaints filed in August, incidents like the one in JJ Hospital could have been avoided, the activists said. In one such letter on August 10, Mahim-based activist Farooque Dhala had warned the Commissioner of Mumbai Police and the Home Department of the drug mafia moving business into “lucrative” organ trade, especially of the bone marrow, kidneys and livers of homeless children and women. Mr. Dhala had said, “We are noticing in … Mahim, Bandra and Dongri a spurt in cases of children being trafficked for their organs … We request you to direct 93 police stations to take action.” In another letter, activist Irfan Macchiwala had said Mumbai was turning into a hub of organ trade in the guise of transplants. “Some accountability is needed to stop the menace. We still haven’t heard from the government,” he said. Letters received Senior Home Department officials said no directives have been given thus far, but confirmed the receipt of the letters. “Desk 8 of the department had taken cognisance of the complaints,” said one official. Late last month, the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested transplant coordinators Tushar Savarkar from JJ Hospital and Sachin Salve from SL Raheja Fortis Hospital for demanding a bribe of ?1.5 lakh to move forward a kidney patient’s case. The government has formed a three-member committee to probe into the racket.

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