KANPUR, Apr 8: Kanpur police have arrested Parvez Saifi, a close aide and driver of absconding doctor Afzal, in connection with the ongoing kidney transplant racket.
Saifi was apprehended late Tuesday night from Rawatpur after a viral video showed him and the doctor with bundles of Rs 500 notes, officials said today.
According to DCP SM Qasim Abidi, Saifi had been trying to evade arrest while seeking legal help for bail. Police recovered Rs 10 lakh in cash from his possession, which he allegedly admitted was part of the payment received after a kidney transplant surgery involving a woman from Muzaffarnagar, identified as Parul Tomar. He told investigators that Dr. Afzal received Rs 22 lakh for the procedure, out of which Rs 10 lakh was given to him.
Police said Saifi had been on the run since a raid at Ahuja Hospital, after which Dr. Afzal switched off his phone and disappeared. Saifi also went into hiding but later contacted lawyers. When he briefly turned on his phone during this process, police tracked his location and arrested him within 15 minutes.
The case gained attention after a 19-second video surfaced online showing Dr. Afzal and Saifi in a hotel room in Kalyanpur, with stacks of cash spread across a bed. In the clip, the doctor is seen fanning himself with currency notes while Saifi records the video. Investigators believe the video was shot shortly after the transplant surgery.
Police revealed that Saifi, though working as a driver for a travel agency, has a criminal history with 7-8 cases registered in Meerut and Ghaziabad, including a robbery case in which he previously served around two and a half years in jail. He also allegedly transported doctors involved in the racket to Kanpur multiple times and stayed with them in a hotel for extended periods during surgeries.
Meanwhile, the alleged mastermind Dr. Afzal remains absconding, along with several others linked to the racket, including Mudassar Ali Siddiqui alias Dr. Ali, a multi-specialty hospital operator identified as Dr. Amit, and dentist Dr. Vaibhav Mudgal.
Police teams are conducting raids to locate them.
In a parallel development, the story of Ayush-initially portrayed as a victim who sold his kidney due to financial hardship-has taken a dramatic turn. Ayush had claimed he sold his kidney to pay educational fees, a story that went viral and drew widespread sympathy.
However, fresh findings from his native village in Begusarai district, Bihar, suggest a different picture. Locals and family members allege that Ayush came from a financially stable background. His father, Rajesh Choudhary, was a landowner who had invested in his education and enrolled him in a coaching institute in Visakhapatnam with hopes of making him a doctor.
Villagers claim Ayush’s focus shifted after he became involved in relationships and gradually lost interest in studies. Following his father’s suicide in 2017, instead of taking responsibility, he allegedly began selling off family land-around 15 bighas over time-and spent the money on a lavish lifestyle.
Further allegations suggest Ayush entered into a short-lived marriage with an air hostess in 2018, which ended within months. After 2021, he reportedly cut ties with his family entirely. His mother now lives alone in the village, and locals question the authenticity of his claims of financial distress.
With key accused still absconding and conflicting narratives emerging, the Kanpur kidney racket investigation continues to unfold. Authorities are now examining both the medical network behind the illegal transplants and the credibility of individuals who claimed to be victims in the case.
(UNI)
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