Hello bhai I want a kidney (specifies). Will you arrange for it?

Saab, it is difficult to get the one you want?

You try for it, but it is necessary.

I will try, sir, but it costs Rs 5 lakh.

If I give you Rs 5 lakh, what shall I keep for myself?

This is a piece of telephonic conversation took place between a doctor with one of the accused!

Ironically, the doctor was unaware he was speaking to a policeman who attended the call, after the accused were arrested and their mobile phones seized!

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Police believe more shocking details are likely come out in the days to come. The modus operandi of the accused suggests they worked as commission agents.

“Possibility of some high profile doctors, security guards of some hospitals, advocates and ‘others’ cannot be ruled out as the accused took magistrates, authorisation committee members and police for the ride for nearly 10 years,” a police officer said.

What is disheartening is those lured to donate kidneys belong to economically backward classes, mostly labourers.

One of the accused, Mahadeva, married three women just to get their kidneys donated! He came into contact with Krishna, the main accused, who is absconding, seven years ago. Krishna arranged for transplantation of kidneys of his wives in K R Hospital. Since then, he has successfully lured 25 persons to donate kidneys!

Another accused, Ravichandra, was a small-time businessman in Doddabettahalli and suffered losses in business. He came in contact with Hotte Nagaraj, another accused, who is absconding, and donated his right kidney one and a half years ago. Since then, he has lured seven persons to donate kidneys!

When police raided the residences of Ravichandran and Mohan Kumar on Saturday night, there were five persons - Kariyappa (35), a resident of Ramanagar, Prakash (35), of Kollegal, Nagaraj (26), of Chamarajnagar, and Kumar (28), of Magadi. All of them were labourers and had come prepared to donate kidneys.

Ravichandran would identify labourers in need of money and lure them to donate kidneys. He would show signs of surgeries on his back and say nothing would happen if one kidney was donated.

Two employees in Bangalore taluk office - Ramu and Duggaiah - would charge Rs 8,000 to prepare fake documents required for donating kidneys. Interestingly, members of organs committee approved the documents without knowing they were fake.