Cuttack: Police have detained a couple for allegedly duping another couple on the plea of donating kidney in Odisha’s Cuttack.
According to sources, Kutul Majhi of Keonjhar was admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack for ailment in 2022. During check-up, the doctors found that both of his kidneys had been damaged and advised him for replant.
This led Kutul’s wife Dulari and family members to search for a kidney donor and necessary money for the surgery. They came across Markand Nath and his wife Santilata of Simulia in Balasore district in the SCB Hospital. Markand agreed to donate his kidney for Rs 10 lakh.
Kutul’s family somehow managed to collect Rs 4 lakh and gave it to Markand. Later, Markand went back on his words and demanded Rs 12.5 lakh to donate his kidney. Though Dulari expressed their helplessness and poor economic condition and appealed to Markand not to make so high demand, the latter did not agree.
Finally, Kutul’s family arranged the total amount by selling their properties and gave it to Markand. An agreement in this regard was signed by both parties after the hospital gave permission for kidney transplantation.
But Markand and his wife did not come for surgery on the scheduled date and kept on postponing the transplantation. The donor couple also did not return the money. On Wednesday, Dulari and her relatives found Markand and Shantilata on hospital premises and nabbed them. Later, they took the couple to Mangalabag police station in the city and handed them over.
During questioning, Markand and Shantilata admitted to have taken Rs 12.5 lakh from Dulari for donating kidney. The police have detained them and started further investigation.
According to the SCB Hospital authorities, Markand was allowed to donate kidney by approval from appropriate authorities.
