NHRC notices to the Government of Haryana and Rajasthan over the reported busting of an organ transplant racket

Press Release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi, 10th April, 2024

NHRC notices to the Government of Haryana and Rajasthan over the reported busting of an organ transplant racket

The reports sought within four weeks

It is to include the steps taken or proposed to curb the menace of illegal trade in human organs

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that the Health Department of the Government of Haryana allegedly busted an organ transplant racket, running across the States of Haryana and Rajasthan. Reportedly, the Health Department conducted a raid at a hotel in Sector-39 of Gurugram and found that a Bangladeshi national was resting there after removal of his kidney at a hospital in Jaipur under a financial deal. The team of the Health Department also caught four other person who had reportedly had a kidney transplant procedure.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights. There is a specific law in India to deal with the subject of illegal trade in human organs i.e. transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 as amended by the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011. It has come into force in the year 2014. The States of Haryana and Rajasthan both have adopted it. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries to the Governments of Haryana and Rajasthan and the Director General of Police of both the States calling for a detailed report within four weeks.

It should include the status of the FIR registered by the police and whether any arrest has been made. The Commission would also like to know about the steps being taken/proposed to be taken to curb the menace of the unlawful and illegal trade in human organs and to ensure that the miscreants are identified and booked under law, without any delay.

According to the media report, carried on 5th March, 2024, the Bangladeshi national was running a mobile shop in Bangladesh. He was sent to India under a fake passport by an agent based at Ranchi in Jharkhand. The deal was finalized for a consideration of Rs 4 lakh, in Bangladeshi currency for his kidney. He has also disclosed that he has no blood relation with the patient and the kidney was given by him only for financial gain.

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