A number of illegal organ transplants have happened in various parts of Kerala in violation of protocols and procedures mentioned in the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA) 1994, the Crime Branch has been found. "It's also learnt that a number of people have been deceptively induced into donating their organs, mainly kidneys on payment of money and the same has been received by various people at the behest of agents in violation of the Act," the Crime Branch report says. The report does not specify when these illegal transplants took place.
Inspector General of Police (Crime Branch) S Sreejith submitted the report to State Police Chief Loknath Behera on October 19. "A number of cognizable offences as under the Indian Penal Code also are suspected to have been committed. In order to collect evidence and bring the offenders to book, it's prudent to register an FIR under section 417 [cheating], 119 [Public servant concealing design to commit offence which it is his duty to prevent], and 120 b [criminal conspiracy] of the Indian Penal Code and 19 (a) [punishment for commercial dealings in human organs], (b) [seeks to find a person willing to supply for payment any human organ] ,(c) [offers to supply any human organ for payment] and (d) [initiates or negotiates any arrangement involving the making of any payment for the supply of or for an offer to supply any human organ].of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 against a number of accused who have affected the transplantation of organs in violation of the THOTA, 1994," the report reads.
The organ donation programme run by the state government named Mrithasanjeevani has been a success over the years. It was launched in 2012. "A number of people have been cheated and it's also suspected that public servants have also connived and abetted the crime (illegal organ transplantation). They have jointly and severally conspired to commit the crime in violation of the laws and government notifications," the report says.
The report has been published by a section of the Malayalam media and a copy of the same is with TNM. The report also said that an FIR may be registered in the Crime Branch Police Station and investigated under above said sections.