Phulbani/Cuttack: Police exhumed the body of a man in Kandhamal district after his family raised suspicions of organ theft, following his death at a private hospital in Cuttack.
The deceased, identified as Babula Diggal, a resident of Tikarbaju village in the Baliguda area of Kandhamal, was involved in a motorcycle accident on October 13.
Babula, who was traveling with his son and wife at the time of the accident, was first taken to Baliguda Hospital, and then transferred to MKCG Medical College & Hospital in Berhampur, and later to AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
However, due to an ongoing strike at AIIMS, the family was forced to seek treatment at a private hospital in Cuttack on October 15, where Babula eventually succumbed to his injuries on October 16.
According to Babula’s son, Iscak Diggal, the doctors at the private hospital in Cuttack assured them that the surgery had been successful and that his father would recover within two days.
However, Babula passed away the following day. The family requested a post-mortem, but their request was denied by the hospital, Iscak claims.
Suspicion grew when the family noticed a cut mark on Babula’s stomach, even though his primary injuries from the accident were on his head. This led them to allege that his organs had been removed without consent.
Following the family’s complaint at the Baliguda Police Station, Kandhamal police exhumed the body to investigate the claims.
In response to the complaint, a team from the Commissionerate Police visited the private hospital in Cuttack to probe the possible involvement of an organ trade racket. Investigations are currently underway.
