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470-page inquiry report on Ruby Hall kidney racket submitted to Maharashtra health minister
The committee, led by retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Sandeep Shinde, conducted a thorough investigation and submitted its findings on December 24
A 10-member government-appointed inquiry committee investigating the alleged illegal kidney transplant racket at Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune has submitted its 470-page report to Maharashtra Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The committee, led by retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Sandeep Shinde, conducted a thorough investigation and submitted its findings on December 24. Formed by the state government, the panel was tasked with examining allegations surrounding the illegal kidney transplant racket at the private hospital. The investigation, which began on October 3, 2024, included extensive examination and cross-examination of individuals linked to the case.
According to a release issued by the state health department on Tuesday, the panel recorded statements of surgeons who performed the transplant surgeries, hospital staff involved in documentation, agents, the kidney donor and recipient, members of the State Authorisation Committee, officials from Sassoon General Hospital, and police officers from Crime Branch Unit 2, Pune. “The committee also examined the original complainant, identified as Hogade from Sangli, and officers from an earlier four-member inquiry panel.”
The report, according to the release, notes that Sarika Gangaram Sutar, who was projected as the kidney donor, was found to be the sister of the recipient’s purported wife, raising serious questions about the authenticity of the relationship claimed during the transplant approval process. The inquiry found that the recipient, Amit Annasaheb Salunkhe, had allegedly produced a fabricated spousal relationship to facilitate the transplant.
The case came to light after Kavita Koli, the sister of the kidney donor, alerted authorities by calling the police helpline number 100, claiming that the agreed monetary compensation for the kidney donation had not been paid. Following the call, the patient’s discharge from the hospital was halted, triggering the investigation.
Officials said Justice Shinde and other committee members held detailed discussions with the health minister while submitting the report. Based on the findings, Abitkar is expected to convene an independent review meeting next week to decide on further action against those found responsible.
The government has not yet made the report public. Further action will be taken after legal scrutiny of the findings, officials added.
