Inter-state police operation yields breakthrough; forged documents including fake MP letterheads and Aadhaar cards seized
KOCHI: In a significant breakthrough for the Ernakulam Rural Police, the alleged mastermind behind a sophisticated inter-state organ trade racket was apprehended in Delhi on Sunday. Mohammed Najeeb Kallatra, a native of Kasaragod, was taken into custody following an intensive manhunt that spanned from the southern tip of India to the National Capital Region (NCR).
The arrest, led by a dedicated team including the Kunnathunad Sub-Inspector, marks a pivotal moment in an investigation that has exposed the dark underbelly of illegal organ transplants facilitated through large-scale forgery and exploitation.
The Midnight Chase
Najeeb’s arrest was the result of a cinematic pursuit. Acting on technical intelligence, the Kerala police team first traced his mobile signal to a hotel in Delhi. However, the suspect managed to flee just moments before the team arrived. Undeterred, officers analyzed call records and localized his position to a relative’s residence near the Delhi-Ghaziabad border.
With tactical assistance from the Delhi Police, the team successfully detained Najeeb. He is expected to be brought to Kochi via air on Monday after a transit warrant is obtained from a local Magistrate in Delhi.
A Web of Deceit and Forgery
The investigation reveals a chillingly organized operation. Najeeb, along with his wife Rasheeda, allegedly operated a firm that recruited financially vulnerable individuals under the guise of “medical tourism.”
To bypass the stringent legal requirements of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act—which mandates that donors must be close relatives or act out of genuine altruism—the syndicate established a “forgery factory.” Key findings include:
- Fabricated Altruism Certificates: Forged documents were created to falsely portray donors as relatives of the recipients.
- Political Forgery: Police recovered forged letterheads, seals, and signatures of several prominent elected representatives, including MPs and MLAs like Hibi Eden, K. Radhakrishnan, and Daleema.
- Law Enforcement Mimicry: Verification certificates were found bearing fabricated signatures of senior police officials, including the Ambalappuzha DySP and Kunnamkulam ACP.
- Identity Fraud: The racket allegedly utilized local digital studios, such as Sun Communications and Sign HD Digital Studio, to produce [Aadhaar Redacted] cards and fake marriage certificates.
Expanding the Investigation
With Najeeb’s capture, the total number of arrests in this case has risen to five. Previously, the police arrested his wife, Rasheeda, and three others—Sunny Varghese, Sini Varghese, and Sanoj KP—who allegedly managed the DTP centers where the documents were forged.
The Ernakulam Rural Police have now constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a DySP to probe potential international links. Simultaneously, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) is expected to launch an inquiry to identify the hospitals and specific transplant cases facilitated by this fraudulent network.
