Rights panel orders probe against 5 cops in kidney selling case

KHRC has recommended that Director General and IGP Praveen Sood conduct a departmental inquiry into the case

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: Karnataka Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has ordered a departmental inquiry against five senior police officers for their negligence in filing a complaint which allegedly led to the death of a 29-year-old mentally challenged person and his kidney being sold illegally here.

A departmental probe has been recommended against then Siddapura police station inspectors ML Krishnamurthy, B Shankarachar, PSI V Santhosh and M Abraham, and a Head Constable, KS Gopal, in connection with the case.

The matter came to light lately after a Yadgir resident approached the Human Rights Commission demanding justice. Shivananda B Bavoora, in his complaint to the KHRC, alleged that his nephew Shankarappa, the mentally challenged victim, was admitted to the Fosa Humanitarian Hospital in the city on September 18 in 2017 as an in-patient for mental treatment.

However, in 2018, the victim was allegedly shifted to Ekata Charitable Trust, an orphanage, without seeking permission from the family. Later, the trustees Sharada Noolimatha, manager Sridhar Vasudeva Chouhan and assistant Rajendra aka Rajanna told Bavoora they would get surgery from foreign doctors and received Rs 1 lakh from the complainant.

For Shankarappa’s treatment, they said they would spend Rs 4 lakh. Later, on December 28, Sridhar Vasudeva Chouhan called the complainant and informed them that the victim had escaped from the premises of the NIMHANS Hospital. Vasudeva had also shown him the duplicate receipt bearing Shankarappa’s name.

Growing suspicious about the development, Shivananda claimed to have approached the Siddapura police station on June 7 in 2019 following which the police officers hushed up the case without filing the FIR. After a few days, Shivananda received information regarding selling Shankarappa’s kidneys to the Sapthagiri Hospital in Bengaluru for Rs 10 lakh.

A probe from the KHRC, which shocked Shivananda and his family, revealed that Shankarappa had died on the operating table due to excessive bleeding during the surgery. Later, his body was cremated under a different name. It was revealed that one of the senior police officials who stumbled upon the scandal tried to promptly hush up the case despite knowing everything.

As a result, the police allegedly recorded a missing case and did not initiate an essential investigation. In addition, it is also alleged that the cops had made the accused people witnesses in the case. The probe revealed that accused Vasudeva Chouhan clearly stated about selling the victim’s kidney, his suspicious death at the Sapthagiri hospital and the cremation of his body by giving a different identity.

However, despite the statement, the police took another word from him and projected it as a missing case. Recently, member of the Commission KB Changappa ordered a departmental inquiry against five senior police officers alleged to be involved in the case.

The commission has also recommended the DG and IGP Praveen Sood conduct a probe regarding the case by a Deputy SP ranked officer. The investigation officers did not bother to inquire about anyone in the case or even check the CCTV footage. The probe revealed they got a statement from the hospital regarding the death and closed the case.

The probe report says that the police did not look into the missing persons from the Ekatha Charitable Trust. It also stated that there was a possibility of a big scandal, and a proper investigation would reveal it. The commission recommended further investigation of the case by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). It also directed to provide of Rs 14 lakh compensation to the victim’s mother within one month.

“The compensation amount should be taken from the salaries of the accused police officers,” the order from the commission said. The commission had stated that Rs 3 lakh should be collected from the salary of inspector Krishnamurthy, Rs 7 lakh from inspector Shankarachar, and Rs 1.50 lakh each from PSI’s Santhosh and Abraham. Rs 1 lakh from the head constable Gopal.

Without conducting a proper investigation and coming under the influence, the cops had submitted the charge sheet hastily to the court, the commission said.