Pune Doctor Arrested in Kidney Racket Scandal

Dr Ajay Taware, former medical superintendent of Sassoon General Hospital, was arrested for his involvement in a kidney transplant racket at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune. Previously detained for tampering with evidence in a separate case, Taware was part of the Regional Authorisation Committee approving transplants suspected of malpractice.

Dr Ajay Taware, a former medical superintendent at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune, was taken into custody on Thursday in connection with an alleged kidney transplant racket at Ruby Hall Clinic, a notable private hospital.

Taware, who has been lodged at Yerwada Central Jail since a previous arrest for tampering with evidence, is now linked to a major transplant irregularity. Pune police had earlier registered a case in May 2022 against 15 individuals, including the managing trustee and employees of Ruby Hall Clinic, over accusations of misconduct during a transplant procedure.

The arrests stem from an incident where a woman from Kolhapur posed as a man's wife to donate her kidney, following a dispute over promised payment. This revelation triggered further investigation into the transplant approval process by Taware's former committee.