Human organs mafia are targeting economically backward tea tribe community in Assam.
The development has come to light in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district where a tea garden worker sold his kidney.
Ramu Karmakar (45) from Singlijan tea estate in Dibrugarh admitted that he sold one of his kidneys to an ‘agent’ for an amount of Rs 3.5 lakh in April.
Karmakar said that he first met the ‘agent’, who identified himself as Jibeswar Deka from Guwahati, in November last year.
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“Poverty compelled me to sell my kidney. I first met the agent Jibeswar Deka in Dibrugarh. He told me he was looking for a kidney donor. He asked if I was interested saying that he will pay a good amount of money in exchange,” Karmakar said.
“At first I refused. The next day, the agent visited my home and offered me Rs 2 lakh, to which I did not agree. He then raised the amount to Rs 3.5 lakh. After much thought I agreed to sell my kidney as I was in dire need of money,” Karmakar further said.
He added: “After few days, I was taken to Kolkata along with my wife, where I spend around 6 months before undergoing the surgery in a hospital.”
Karmakar further said, “Now I repent my act. These days my wife need to go for work, in my stead, as I feel weak.”
According to reliable sources, human organs mafia, recently, have been very active in the tea garden areas of Dibrugarh district.
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“Kidney racketeers has been active in the tea garden areas. Some locals help them by providing information,” sources said.
Meanwhile, the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), which is the largest body of tea garden workers has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the matter.
The team will visit the tea gardens in Dibrugarh and try to unearth more details.
ACMS vice president Nabin Keot said: “We suspect the illegal kidney trafficking rackets must be thriving in the tea gardens. Large scale illiteracy and poverty exists in the tea gardens which are exploited by unscrupulous elements. We have initiated a high-level enquiry into the incident.”
Meanwhile, Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra said, “Till now, we have not registered any case. After registering a case we will start our investigation.”