Key Accused In Kerala Organ Trade Case Tried to Sell Own Kidney: Cops

Bellamkonda Ram Prasad, 41, also known as Prathapan, was tasked with finding donors who would match recipients, the police said.

A man from Andhra Pradesh, said to the kingpin in a massive organ trade racket, has been arrested from Hyderabad. Bellamkonda Ram Prasad, 41, also known as Prathapan, was tasked with finding donors who would match recipients, the police said.  Investigations in the Nedumbassery case that surfaced in Kerala, indicated that Prasad facilitated over 60 per cent of donor matches -- none resulted in rejection.

The police believe that he conducted preliminary testing at labs in Hyderabad to verify compatibility, a key point in transplantation.

A well-known real estate entrepreneur in the Hyderabad and Vijayawada, Prasad was arrested by the Kerala police from a hotel in Hyderabad.  The man, who allegedly played a key role in the Nedumbassery case as well as other similar rackets, has been taken to Kerala's Aluva for questioning. The police zeroed in on him after questioning other suspects in the case.