Two doctors likely to get reprieve in Hiranandani kidney scam

Two doctors from LH Hiranandani Hospital — Dr Suvin Shetty and Dr Veena Sewlikar — are likely to be let off easily in the kidney racket that came to light in July. Sources in the Powai police revealed that the chargesheet that is to be filed soon does not book both the doctors under stringent sections of the Transplant of Human Organs Act.

Investigators revealed that they checked the financial records of both the doctors, but did not find anything amiss. Shetty, a pathologist, and Sewlikar, a general surgeon, are practising doctors at the Powai-based Hiranandani Hospital.

Their names came up in the racket after the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) summoned them for questioning.

“Their names are mentioned in the final report submitted by the DHS this week. But even the DHS does not implicate them completely. It mentions that while the doctors are part of the hospital’s Local Authorisation Committee (LAC), they were not present during the meetings held for the donor and recipient involved in the racket,” said an officer.

“We will not be booking them under stringent sections of the TOHA,” the officer said. He added that the investigators had even checked the financial transactions of the two doctors, but the same had not revealed anything to be amiss.

The LAC includes the medical director of the hospital, two internal doctors, two external members and one member of the DHS. It is supposed to go through all the documents submitted by the donor and recipient and scrutinise the same.

According to sources, both the doctors were not present when the LAC held their meetings for recipient Brijkishore Jaiswal and donor Shobha Thakur, whose case led to the kidney racket in Hiranandani Hospital being busted.

The Powai Police, which might file the chargesheet in the coming week, added that the main accused in the case is turning out to be the transplant coordinator of the hospital, Nilesh Kamble.

“We have been able to establish that Kamble gained monetary benefit from the patients and the agents. He will be booked under stringent sections in the chargesheet,” said the source.