“Right now it falls under cheating. But we want to introduce stringent punishment for such crimes by introducing new sections,” said a senior official of the Kolkata Police.

The police has now written to the health department and many city hospitals so that records of previous organ transplants are made available to the police.

“Some hospitals only allow close relatives to donate while others transplant organs from friends and acquaintances as well. In all cases, a no-objection certificate needs to be obtained from the health department with a declaration that the organ transplant has not involved any monetary transactions,” said a senior official of the Kolkata Police.

Based on the complaint of Suman Rudra, the police will be scrutinising records of about the last five years from city hospitals and nursing homes as well as the health department. Then they will be able to ascertain the number of transplants that have taken place, the people involved and if any of the six persons who were arrested in the kidney racket were linked to any of the transplants.

“We are also trying to find out cases where patients succumbed during or immediately after a transplant,” said a senior officer. What is worrying the police is the rising trend of victims joining the racket. Desperate people get in touch with the hospital for kidneys. In some cases they are led to touts who then arrange for the organs from very poor people. Three of the six people who have been arrested have already donated one of their kidneys.