organ theft: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Oct 18: Police on Friday exhumed the body of a man in response to allegations of organ theft made by his family members from Baliguda in Odisha’s Kandhamal district. Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling has ordered a high-level investigation into the claims and held discussions with Commissioner of Police S. Dev Datta Singh regarding the matter.
The deceased, identified as Babula Diggal from Tikarbaju village, was initially admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur following an accident on October 13. He was later transferred to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar but was moved to a private hospital on October 15 at the suggestion of an ambulance driver. Diggal passed away the following day.
His family became suspicious when they noticed stitch marks on his stomach, despite him having head injuries. Diggal’s son, Isqak, expressed concerns that his father’s organs might have been removed, stating, “Since there were stitch marks on his stomach, we suspected that some of his organs were stolen by the hospital.” He also claimed that hospital staff urged them to take the body without performing an autopsy and facilitated an ambulance for their departure.
Another relative suggested that a kidney might have been removed during surgery, which was reportedly conducted at the private hospital for which the family paid ₹70,000 and subsequently cleared an additional ₹30,000 after the procedure. Hospital authorities have denied the allegations.
