Kochi: The Ernakulam Rural police will constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the organ trade fraud case in which forged documents of MLAs, senior police officers, hospitals and government departments were allegedly used to facilitate illegal organ donations, District Police Chief K S Sudarshan said on Friday.

The development comes amid an intensified hunt for the prime accused, Mohammad Najeeb Kallatra, a native of Kasaragod, who remains absconding. The police on Friday arrested his wife, Rasheeda, from their residence after investigators found evidence suggesting her strong involvement in the operation. Three others, who ran DTP shops where the forgery took place, were arrested by the police on Thursday.

A special team led by the Perumbavoor ASP has already been tasked with tracing Najeeb, while a lookout notice has been issued against him. The police suspect the case could have interstate and international links.

“An in-depth investigation is needed to get further clarity about the extent of the fraud. We suspect they have carried out organ donation using forged documents. An SIT will be formed, headed by a DySP, for further investigation. First priority is the arrest of the main accused, Najeeb,” Sudarshan told Onmanorama.

The police chief said the probe had revealed only the forgery aspect so far and that a separate medical-level inquiry would be required to determine how many illegal organ transplants were actually carried out using the fabricated documents.

“Since this is a case related to organ donation, the Directorate of Medical Education will also have to conduct a detailed probe. We will be informing the Health Department about the case,” he added.

Police sources said investigators are also trying to identify how many organ donors and recipients may have benefited from the forged records. However, officials admitted that complaints from those involved are unlikely.

“The donors receive money for donating organs and the recipients get the organs they want. So the chances of complaints from those involved are less likely. Moreover, they too could face fraud charges,” a senior police officer said.

The investigation, jointly carried out by the Kunnathunad, Thadiyittaparambu and Ambalamedu police, began on Thursday morning and continued through Friday, eventually exposing what police suspect is a large-scale, organised organ trafficking network operating under the guise of medical tourism.

According to the FIRs registered by the Kunnathunad police, Najeeb and Rasheeda operated a firm named Kallatra Medical Tourism Pvt. Ltd. in Kochi, claiming to act as intermediaries connecting patients with major hospitals for treatment and organ donation procedures.

However, the police later discovered that the office listed at Edathala near Aluva was merely a single-room facility. Officers broke open the locked premises and conducted a detailed inspection as part of the investigation. The police suspect the real business behind the company was illegal organ trafficking.

They suspect that the racket arranged organ donors for recipients in exchange for money and then forged documents to falsely show the donors as close relatives of the recipients, a crucial requirement in organ donation approvals, including altruism certificates.

An Altruism Certificate (or Certificate of Altruism) is an official document, usually issued by local police (Superintendent/DySP), verifying that a donor's intent in living organ transplantation, particularly between unrelated parties, is genuine, voluntary, and free from financial exchange. It ensures compliance with legal and ethical guidelines, often mandated by authorisation committees to prevent commercial trafficking. 

In this case, the police suspect a huge amount of money was involved, and Najeeb and Rasheeda acted as middlemen in the donation of organs and related transactions.

The forged records allegedly included fake Aadhaar cards, fabricated identification documents, recommendation letters and verification certificates. The police also seized counterfeit seals, forged signatures and fake letterheads bearing the names of elected representatives, police officers, leading hospitals and government departments.

Acting on information that the forged records were being prepared near Kizhakkambalam, the Kunnathunad police raided two establishments in Pallikkara - Sun Communications and Sign HD Digital Studio.

During the raids, police recovered forged documents prepared in the names of several prominent public figures, including Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, Alathur MP K Radhakrishnan, former Uduma MLA C H Kunhambu, former Kuthuparamba MLA K P Mohanan, former Aroor MLA Daleema, and Kanjirappally MLA and former Chief Whip N Jayaraj.

Documents linked to a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Ambalappuzha, an ACP attached to the Kunnamkulam subdivision in Thrissur City, and two private hospitals in Kochi were also seized.

The FIR stated that forged recommendation letters and verification documents addressed to police officials were prepared using fabricated seals and signatures. Fake seals and signatures of doctors and government offices were also recovered during the raids.

The police arrested Sunny Varghese and his wife, Sini Varghese, operators of Sun Communications, along with Sanoj K P, an employee of HD Digital Studio. Another accused, identified as Asif, has also been arraigned in the case.

The police said Najeeb allegedly shared document details and formats through WhatsApp, after which forged certificates and records were prepared for payment.

The police also searched the flat where Najeeb and Rasheeda were staying at Karimugal in Pothanampirambu. Investigators said the couple appeared to lead a lavish lifestyle and frequently arrived at the document-forging centres in luxury vehicles.

While they are yet to ascertain the exact number of illegal organ donations facilitated through the network, the police suspect several donors and recipients knowingly participated in the fraud using forged documents.