Police track kidney doctor Amit Kumar (Dr. Horror)

Police track kidney doctor Amit Kumar (Dr. Horror)

Source of image: Interpol
News Source:

According to the latest news, police arrested Dr. Amit Kumar by Nepal Police (February 8, 2008).

The hunt for alleged kidney harvester, Dr. Amit Kumar, has led investigators to Brampton, a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of Ontario, Canada.

Indian investigators allege that Kumar is the kingpin of a ring that removed kidneys of poor laborers in India for transplantation to the highest bidding patients, usually foreigners. After a request by Indian police via an Interpol “red notice”, Canadian police located a house in Brampton owned by Kumar, who has been dubbed “Dr. Horror” by the Indian press.

The house is occupied by a woman, presumed to be his wife, and two young children. Kumar purchased the 5,600 sq ft (~510 m²) home on February 2, 2007 for C$610,000. Reportedly, additional upgrades were performed at the home, including an in-ground pool, at a cost of C$100,000. The family drives an expensive SUV. The children, two boys aged 4 and 5, are said to be enrolled at private schools.

Dr. Kumar, a nephrologist, born Santosh Rameshwar Raut, was known to his neighbors. He told them that he was a cardiovascular surgeon in India, but that he wanted to buy a hotel in Canada and, after one last trip to India to tie up loose ends, permanently relocate to Canada.

“We are completely shocked,” a neighbor told the Toronto Star. “We used to joke at parties that he must be loaded to get such a beautiful wife, but nothing prepared us for this.” Another neighbor told the paper, “It’s very unusual for someone to come here from India and buy a big house like this and a Lexus. Doctors in India just don’t make that kind of money.”

Meanwhile, investigators are no closer to Amit Kumar, than they were a few days ago. It is widely believed that he is trying to flee India for Canada via Nepal, a country for which he is alleged to have a passport.

Police in Mumbai, however, believe he is still in India. “He is very much in India,” commissioner Rakesh Maria said on Tuesday. “We suspect he will never leave.”

“He will stay in India — it won’t be easy to conduct his illegal activities anywhere else,” he said. “In a country like Canada, it would almost be impossible to find [kidney] donors in large numbers.”

However, after a request by the Haryana state government, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will soon take lead in the investigation.

“We haven’t yet received a final word to start investigations,” CBI Director Vijay Shankar said. “We will begin working on the case as per legal process.” Thus far, police in Gurgoan, Moradabad, Mumbai and Rajasthan have been investigating the case separately.

The case has called attention to medical tourism, the practice of traveling abroad for health care at more affordable rates. Kumar is alleged to have charged US$50,000 for a kidney transplant. The donors are said to have been paid the equivalent of US$1,200. Even so, the donors, according to widespread reports and testimonials, may not have realized what they were getting into when they went with a stranger for a well-paying job.

The Toronto Star interviewed a medical tourism travel agent, who operates openly. Aruna Thurairajan, who runs Overseas Medical Services in Calgary, Alberta, says that she frequently gets calls from patients in need of a kidney. Thurairajan refuses to give referrals for transplants because it “gives medical tourism a bad rap.”

“Money is a big factor for people to decide where to go. Often they want to bargain how much to pay the vendor [organ donor]. Some of them can be quite selfish and mean. They think they can buy the kidney for peanuts. That’s why the likes of [Amit Kumar] can prosper. So the patient should also be blamed along with him, because the patient bargains down the price,” said Thurairajan.

But the victims of this illegal trade are not exclusively the poor day laborers but sometimes the clients themselves, according to a report by Hindustan Times. The investigation cited a driver for a close associate of Amit Kumar and claims that at least three foreigners died on Dr. Kumar’s operating table. He was able to name three Turkish nationals who all died in India between 2003 and 2005, officially from cardiac arrest. The driver, Harpal, says that the bodies were brought to a hospital in Ballabgarh, Faridabad, where the local authorities colluded with the doctors to list the cause of death as heart failure.

Doctors in Kolkata – a short list

Doctors In Kolkata: Please add your doc by replying

Speciality: Gynecology
Dr. Gopa Mukherjee
Nalini sarkar St,
Kolkata – 06Dr. Kalyani Mukherjee

Sri Arabinda Seba Sadan (EEDF),
Prince Anwar Shah Road
Jadavpur
Kolkata – 32Dr. Arati Basu Sengupta

Speciality : Gynecologist & Obstetrician
Ibrahimpur Road,
Jadavpur
Kolkata – 32

Speciality:Orthopedic

Dr. A.K. Dutta
O.P. House
Ph. 337-7436 Dr. B.K. Dutta
Calcutta Medical Centre, 12 Loudon St., Kolkata-700017
Ph. 247-7330

Dr. D. Roychowdhury
22A, Park Mansion, Park St., Kolkata-700016
Ph. 229-4078 Dr. Dilip Mishra
163, B. Dey Street, Kolkata-700006
Ph. 530-4142/350-4538 Dr. Indrajit Sarder
104G, D.H. Dey Road, Kolkata-700015
Ph. 244-0742 Dr. Kalyan Mukherjee
15, Loudon Street, Kolkata-700017
Ph. 247-4943

Dr. M.S. Ghosh

Nightingale Diagnostic Centre
11, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata-700071
Ph. 282-7969-72/282-7255/7263
247-1248
Howrah: 668-5266

Dr. Rabin Bhattacharjee
11A, Lake Road, Kolkata-700019
Ph. 248-4949 Dr. R.K. Mallick (Surgeon)
Nibedita Polyclinic, Bagmari
Ph. 352-4257

Dr. Sailen Bhattacharjee
21/7, Gariahat Road, Kolkata-700019
Ph. 440-6410 Dr. Samir Gupta
Orthopedic Centre
Kankurgachi, 18/1 V.I.P. Road, Kolkata-700054
Ph. 355-9446, 337-9446

Dr. Samir Mitra
Ankur, P-51, C.I.T. Road
Kankurgachi, Kolkata-700054
Ph. 337-2888 Dr. Sunil Thakur
Sabs Clinic, 2A, Chittaranjan Avenue, Kolkata-700073
Ph. 237-4080, 337-8893 Prof. Dr. S.R. Mitra
16B, Dr. S.M. Avenue, Kolkata-700014
Ph. 244-8607


Speciality: Orthopedic

Dr. A.K. Dutta
O.P. House
Ph. 337-7436 Dr. B.K. Dutta
Calcutta Medical Centre, 12 Loudon St., Kolkata-700017
Ph. 247-7330Dr. D. Roychowdhury

22A, Park Mansion, Park St., Kolkata-700016
Ph. 229-4078Dr. Dilip Mishra

163, B. Dey Street, Kolkata-700006
Ph. 530-4142/350-4538 Dr. Indrajit Sarder
104G, D.H. Dey Road, Kolkata-700015
Ph. 244-0742 Dr. Kalyan Mukherjee
15, Loudon Street, Kolkata-700017
Ph. 247-4943

Dr. M.S. Ghosh
Nightingale Diagnostic Centre
11, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata-700071
Ph. 282-7969-72/282-7255/7263
247-1248
Howrah: 668-5266

Dr. Rabin Bhattacharjee
11A, Lake Road, Kolkata-700019
Ph. 248-4949 Dr. R.K. Mallick (Surgeon)
Nibedita Polyclinic, Bagmari
Ph. 352-4257

Dr. Sailen Bhattacharjee
21/7, Gariahat Road, Kolkata-700019
Ph. 440-6410

Dr. Samir Gupta
Orthopedic Centre
Kankurgachi, 18/1 V.I.P. Road, Kolkata-700054
Ph. 355-9446, 337-9446

Dr. Samir Mitra
Ankur, P-51, C.I.T. Road
Kankurgachi, Kolkata-700054
Ph. 337-2888

Dr. Sunil Thakur
Sabs Clinic, 2A, Chittaranjan Avenue, Kolkata-700073
Ph. 237-4080, 337-8893

Prof. Dr. S.R. Mitra
16B, Dr. S.M. Avenue, Kolkata-700014
Ph. 244-8607

Speciality: Ayurvedic Physicians
Ananda Roy
11B, Anath Deb Lane, Kolkata-700006 (Res)
Chamber-85, Beadon St., Kolkata-700006
Ph. 555-9075

Arun Kumar Gupta
16/1, Tarak Chatterjee Lane, Kolkata-700005
Ph. 530-5794 Biswanath Sharma (Vaidya)
71, Burtalla Street, Kolkata-700007
Ph. 238-3442

Gobinda Chatterjee
S.P. Nagar, Uttarayan, Nimta, Kolkata-700049
Ph. 539-2669 Laxminarayan Maity
294/3/1, A.P.C. Road, Kolkata-700009
Ph. 350-4159, 462-0268

Mriganka Mohan Roy
3, Huzurimal Lane, Kolkata-700014

Niranjan Kolay
KB-12, Saltlake City, Kolkata-700091

P.C. Dasgupta
205A, Rash Behari Avenue, Kolkata-700019

Pratip Debnath
64/98-A, Belgachia Road, Kolkata-700037
Ph.556-5761, 334-3292

Subrata Bhattacharjee
4, New Panchanantala Road, Kolkata-700056
Ph.553-4157
Dr.Utpal Das.
M.D(Ayurveda).
From National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur.( Rajasthan University)
Address: Sudarshanpur(South), P.O.Raiganj. Dist.Uttar Dinajpur.
Ph.no. 03523-253298/ 9434306119.
E-mail: drutpalayur@yahoo.co.in
Posted at State Ayurvedic Dispensary( at Raiganj District Hospital) as a Senior Ayurvedic Medical Officer.

Kolkata Hospital List with address and phone numbers

List of Major Hospitals in Kolkata (Calcutta)
Here is the list of major hospitals in Kolkata. If you know some main hospitals missing in our list, please reply to the post. We will update the list as soon as we get feedback from you. Address is given for all hospitals in Kolkata along with the phonenumber. Some of the phone numbers might have changed. If you know the most recent phone no. please reply to the post. Thanks.

A

Aduttanagar Mental Health Centre
Duttanagar, Kolkata
Phone: 033-25572482

Abinash Dutta Maternity Home
109/111, B K Pal Avenue, Calcutta 700005
Phone: 033-25308504

Ajit Dutta Smriti Seva Kendra
66, Dumdum Road, Kolkata – 700074
Phone: V

AMRI Hospital
P4, CIT Scheme, Blk. – A, Gariahat Road (S), Kolkata – 700068
Phone: 033-24612466

Anandalok Charitable Hospital
CK4 /11 Sech Bhavan, Salt Lake, Calcutta
Phone: 033-3591982
Website: http://www.anandlok.com/

Apollo Gleneagles Hospital
58, Canal Circular Road, Kolkata – 700054
Phone: 033-23203040

Arvind Eye
12, UN Brahmachari Sreet, Maruti Block, F – 8, Kolkata – 700017
Phone: 033-22817780

Asharam Bhiwaniwala Hospital
55 Kali Krishna Tagore St, Barabazar, Calcutta
Phone: 033-2395887

Assembly of God Church Hospital & Research Center
125/1, Park Street, Calcutta – 16
Phone: 2290169/9836

(more…)