High Court quashes charge sheet in kidney theft case

The charge sheet filed against five doctors in the kidney theft racket that rocked the country in 1995 was quashed by the High Court on Tuesday.

Justice V Jagannathan agreed with the counsel for the accused — Dr Siddaraju, Dr Hafiz, Dr Aadil, Dr Deelip and his relative — that there was no proper evidence to support the charges.

The accused had filed a criminal revision petition in the High Court challenging the proceedings against them, and sought the quashing of the charge sheet.

The scam had surfaced shortly after Deveerappa, a farmer from Hebbali village in Hosadurga taluk of Chitradurga district, “lost his kidney” while being treated for stomachache at Yallamma Dasappa Hospital in 1995. 

Accusing the doctors of stealing his kidney, Deveerappa lodged a complaint with the Commercial Street Police Station against the doctors for “violating the rules and procedures of organ transplant and selling off the kidney for a huge sum”.  The accused were arrested before being released on bail. Subsequently, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a chargesheet against them.

Probe stayed

The High Court has stayed till January 24 the re-investigation of the murder of Kannada film actor Vinod Kumar.

Justice Narayanappa Anand passed the orders on Tuesday on a petition filed by Kiran Kumar, brother of the deceased actor. Kumar had challenged the re-investigation ordered by then DGP (CID), Shankar M Bidari, stressing that there was no need for it as the case had already been probed. He prayed for the examination of the witnesses.

On October 7, 2008, Govardhan Murthy, a realtor-turned-producer, had invited Vinod Kumar to a party at his farmhouse in Bagalur where he shot him in the chest and stomach using a 7.7 mm pistol, following a drunken brawl. Vinod was trying to stop an argument between Murthy and Shankar Reddy, Murthy’s friend. Reddy took Vinod Kumar to various hospitals where he was declared brought dead. On his deathbed, the actor stated that Murthy had shot him.

Bail plea deferred

The Special Lokayukta Court on Tuesday deferred the orders on the anticipatory bail application filed by BJP MLA S R Vishwanath to January 16.

The MLA is at present the subject of an investigation by the Lokayukta police following a private complaint lodged against him for possessing disproportionate assets and misusing the public office. Judge N K Sudhindra Rao deferred the orders after terming the objections filed by the Lokayukta police “unclear.”

Vishwanath had filed for anticipatory bail stating that he feared being arrested, as he was being investigated for offences that were of non-bailable nature.