Andhra Pradesh shocker: Woman’s death exposes ‘organ trade’ network; 2 doctors among 12 in custody, hospital sealed

TIRUPATI: The mysterious death of a 29-year-old woman during an illegal kidney transplant at Madanapalle in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh has exposed a suspected network of organ trade across the state. A day after the racket came to light, officials on Wednesday sealed the hospital, where the surgery took place. The police took 12 people, including two doctors, into their custody. The victim, S Yamuna, a woman from Buddapalem village in Anandapuram mandal of Visakhapatnam, was allegedly lured into selling her kidney for ₹8 lakh. Police revealed that the surgery took place at Global Multi-Speciality Hospital, Madanapalle, which lacked permission to conduct transplants. The hospital, run by Dr K Avinash and Dr B Shaswathi, is suspected of performing multiple illegal procedures by roping in guest doctors. Both directors, along with brokers and govt hospital staff accused of arranging organ donors and recipients, have been taken into custody.Foul play According to inspector Raja Reddy of the Madanapalle II Town police station, Yamuna was admitted to the hospital on Sunday. Doctors extracted her kidney and transplanted it into a manfrom Goa, Ranjan Nayak. By Monday morning, Yamuna’s health deteriorated and she died. Police said hospital staff and brokers attempted to cover up the incident by shifting her body to Tirupati without informing her family. When Yamuna’s live-in partner Suri Babu demanded for her body, the brokers refused, leading to an altercation in Tirupati.Incidentally, Babu was the one who reportedly introduced Yamuna to the brokers. Suspecting foul play, Babu alerted Yamuna’s mother Sooramma, and together they reported the matter to police. Tirupati East CI Srinivasulu detained Babu and the brokers, and secured the woman’s body.The case was transferred to the Madanapalle II Town police, where CI Raja Reddy took brokers Pelli Padma, Kakarla Satya and Venkatesh, along with Babu, into custody for questioning.Two dialysis technicians, Balu from Madanapalle and Mehar Raj from Kadiri, and govt hospital staff Bala Rangadu of Madanapalle and Balaji Naik of Punganur were also taken into custody. Police said Dr K Anjaneyulu, the district coordinator of hospital services in Chittoor, who is also the father of Dr Avinash, the promoter of Global hospital, was also taken into custody to verify if his official position was used to facilitate the organ trade.