Five people have been arrested in the kidney racket case. (Representative)
Guwahati:
The prime accused in the Assam kidney smuggling case was brought back from Tamil Nadu where he was arrested three days ago on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The local court has sent him on six-day police remand today.
Morigaon Superintendent of Police Aparna Natarajan said accused Plaban Borthakur, who was missing for the past four months, was traced in Coimbatore, about 500 km from Tamil Nadu capital Chennai.
“The accused was arrested three days back and was brought to Jagiroad police station on Tuesday night, where a case was registered against him earlier,” the police officer said.
In July this year, the Assam Police had unearthed an illegal kidney transplant racket in the state. This racket used to trick people in dire need of money into donating kidney for money and giving them only a part of it. Victims of the racket were first found in Morigaon and soon complaints surfaced from different parts of the state as well. Mr. Borthakur’s name cropped up in some of these complaints.
The accused had secured interim bail which was challenged by the Assam Police in the Gauhati High Court, which refused to grant bail on the basis of sufficient evidence against him. But, Mr. Borthakur hid till then.
“Our investigation has been stopped so far, but more details are expected to come out,” the police said.
Police sources said that five people have been arrested in the case, out of which four are out on bail.
“We will now be able to establish links with others involved in the racket. Police are yet to verify Plaban Borthakur’s phone records and bank statements,” Natarajan said.
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