The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has expanded its investigation into the alleged organ trafficking racket in Kerala by summoning doctors who served on Internal Evaluation Committees (IECs) at private hospitals, along with senior hospital officials, as part of its ongoing probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The agency is examining whether statutory safeguards governing living organ transplantation were properly followed and whether any proceeds of crime were generated through the alleged trafficking network. The latest round of questioning marks a significant expansion of the investigation beyond suspected brokers to those involved in the transplant approval process.
According to The Hindu, the ED has summoned doctors who were members of Internal Evaluation Committees constituted by private hospitals that conducted living donor kidney transplants.
Under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 (THOTA) and the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014, Internal Evaluation Committees play an important role in assessing transplant cases involving living donors before they are placed before the competent authorising authority. The committees are expected to verify that donations are voluntary and free from coercion or commercial consideration while reviewing the relationship between donors and recipients.
Investigators are examining whether the committees exercised adequate due diligence in evaluating transplant cases that are now under scrutiny.
The ED has also summoned senior officials of several private hospitals as part of the investigation.
According to the reports, investigators questioned hospital officials regarding transplant-related records, patient documentation, approval procedures, and compliance with statutory requirements governing organ transplantation.
The agency is examining records maintained by hospitals and reviewing the processes followed before transplant surgeries were performed.
The alleged organ trafficking racket came to light in May 2026, after the Kerala Police uncovered an alleged network that facilitated illegal kidney transplants using forged documents.
The investigation, initially led by the Kollam City Police and later expanded by the Ernakulam Rural Police, resulted in the arrests of several accused, including Sreeja, Sudheer, Sunny Varghese, Sini Varghese, Sanoj, and later Rasheeda, while police issued a lookout notice for key suspect Najeeb Kallatra.
Investigators alleged that the network operated under the guise of medical tourism and used forged consent forms, affidavits, certificates and other documents to facilitate illegal organ donations.
As the probe widened, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a parallel investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, to trace the financial trail and examine the role of hospitals in the alleged racket.
The ED's money laundering investigation is based on multiple FIRs registered by the Kerala Police concerning an alleged organ trafficking racket.
Under the PMLA, the ED investigates the financial aspects of offences that are linked to scheduled predicate crimes. As part of its probe, the agency is examining financial transactions and documentary records connected to the alleged illegal organ transplant network.
The investigation also seeks to determine whether any proceeds of crime were generated through the alleged activities.
The investigation is also examining whether the safeguards established under India's organ transplantation law functioned as intended.
Living organ transplantation in India is governed by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, which prohibits commercial dealings in human organs and lays down strict procedures for approving organ donations, particularly those involving unrelated donors.
The ED is reviewing whether prescribed procedures were followed during the evaluation and approval of transplant cases now under investigation.
As of now, the ED has not accused the doctors serving on Internal Evaluation Committees or the hospital officials of any wrongdoing.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no findings of guilt have been established against the hospitals or the individuals questioned.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)