KANPUR, April 1 -- A Rs 50,000 payment dispute allegedly exposed a kidney transplant racket in Kanpur, leading to the arrest of six persons, including five doctors and a broker, after raids at private hospitals in Kalyanpur area, police said on Tuesday. Investigators said about 50 illegal transplants may have been carried out in the city, including one involving a South African woman. A Meerut-based doctor allegedly ran a Telegram group to connect donors and recipients and negotiate payments, according to police. Those arrested have been identified as Dr Surjit Singh Ahuja, 54, his wife Dr Preeti Ahuja, 50, an office bearer of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr Rajesh Kumar, 44, Dr Ram Prakash, 40, Dr Narendra Singh, 35, and Shivam Aggarwal, 34, whom police described as the key intermediary. The racket allegedly came to light after a man from Uttarakhand approached police claiming he was short-paid Rs 50,000 after agreeing to sell his kidney for around Rs 10 lakh. During inquiry, police found that the broker allegedly sold the same kidney to the family of a 35-year-old woman from Muzaffarnagar for over Rs 90 lakh. The donor was allegedly paid Rs 6 lakh in cash and Rs 3.5 lakh by cheque. Investigators said the transplant that led to the arrests was carried out at a hospital in Rawatpur. The donor and recipient were kept at the same facility for 24 hours before being shifted to separate hospitals. After the case surfaced, both were moved to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital as a precaution. Crime branch teams raided two hospitals late Monday night after the donor identified them, and evidence of his admission was found at both locations. An FIR has been registered against them and several unidentified persons under Sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, and Section 143 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Raghubir Lal, commissioner of police, said joint teams of police and the chief medical officer's (CMO) office conducted raids at multiple hospitals on Monday. "As far as we know, about 40 to 50 transplants have taken place in Kanpur, including one case involving a South African woman. Fresh names of individuals and hospitals are surfacing," he said. A donor and recipient identified during the raids were shifted to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital for supervision, and their statements are being recorded. Health officials inspected three facilities in Kalyanpur, including Priya Hospital and Trauma Centre, Ahuja Hospital, and Medlife Hospital. One facility was found allegedly operating without registration. Dr Hari Dutt Nemi, CMO, said Medlife Hospital would be sealed and notices were being issued to the Ahujas. Police said the network allegedly operated in a structured manner to avoid detection. Aggarwal, who drove an ambulance, allegedly posed as a doctor and wore a stethoscope to approach patients and donors. Officials said none of the hospitals involved were authorised to conduct transplant surgeries. External specialists were allegedly brought in for procedures. Investigators also found that staff were reportedly given leave on surgery days and no records of donors or recipients were maintained. Dr Ramit Rastogi, additional CMO, and Dr Rajesh Singh, in charge of Kalyanpur community health centre, led the inspections. Officials said more than 50 hospitals are under scrutiny. Raghubir Lal said that under the Act, non-blood-related organ donation requires prior approval from the state government, a safeguard that was allegedly bypassed. Authorities are now searching for the surgeon and nephrologist involved, and senior doctors linked to major institutions may be questioned. Following the raids, several hospitals in Kalyanpur reportedly shut signboards and lights, while attendants were prevented from stepping out....