Hyderabad: Nearly six months after the exposure of an illegal kidney transplant racket at Alkananda Multi-Speciality Hospital in Rangareddy, the Telangana Crime Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a 36-year-old anaesthesiologist from Visakhapatnam.
The accused, Dr Ruttala Venkata Rama Santosh Naidu, was apprehended by a CID team from Eluru, Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. He was produced before a court in LB Nagar on Friday and remanded to judicial custody.
Key Details of the Arrest
- Dr Naidu allegedly administered anaesthesia to both donors and recipients during the clandestine transplants.
- He was reportedly paid ₹2.5 lakh per surgery.
- His role was described by CID officials as “crucial” to the functioning of the racket.
- He worked with doctors already arrested, including Dr Rajashekar, Dr Avinash, and main accused P. Pavan Kumar, believed to be the mastermind behind the network.
Background of the Case
- In January 2025, the Telangana Health Department raided Alkananda Hospital, Saroornagar, exposing the racket.
- The hospital’s managing director and staff were arrested for luring poor kidney donors from other states and bringing in external doctors for surgeries.
- Two women from Tamil Nadu sold their kidneys for about ₹4 lakh each, while recipients from Karnataka allegedly paid up to ₹50 lakh per transplant.
- The operations, carried out on January 16, were performed by outside doctors — one with a claimed degree from China and another from Ukraine.
Wider Crackdown
The case, later handed over to the CID, revealed that illegal transplants were also conducted at Janani and Aruna hospitals in Saidabad, disguised as lawful donations.
CID Additional DGP Charu Sinha said investigators are now tracking absconding suspects and money trails to understand the racket’s interstate operations and financial channels.
