Pune: Porsche Case Accused Dr Ajay Taware Arrested In 2022 Kidney Transplant Scam
Pune: Porsche Case Accused Dr Ajay Taware Arrested In 2022 Kidney Transplant Scam
Dr Ajay Taware, former medical superintendent of Sassoon General Hospital in Pune, who is already incarcerated in connection with the Porsche hit-and-run incident from May 2024, has now been arrested in a separate case involving an illegal kidney transplant racket that dates back to 2022.
According to a report in HIndustan Times, authorities allege that while serving as head of the Regional Authorisation Committee for Organ Transplants (RACOT), Dr Taware approved transplant procedures using falsified documents and fabricated identities. He was taken into custody on Wednesday and presented before a Pune court on Thursday. He has been remanded in police custody until June 2, making him the 17th person booked and the 8th arrested in the ongoing kidney racket probe.
According to police, the case revolves around a kidney swap surgery that took place at Ruby Hall Clinic on March 24, 2022. The operation was thrown into controversy five days later when a woman admitted under the name Sujata Amit Salunkhe claimed she had been misidentified. She revealed her real identity as Sarika Gangaram Sutar, a 38-year-old widow from Kolhapur, and alleged she had been offered ₹15 lakh to impersonate the recipient’s wife and donate her kidney — a payment she never received.
Indian regulations stipulate that only close relatives, such as spouses or blood family members, can be living organ donors. To get around this, documents were allegedly forged by two prime suspects — Ravindra Rodge and Abhijit Gatane — to present Sutar as the recipient’s spouse.
Investigators claim that Dr Taware exploited his position to clear these transplant approvals. A special investigation panel led by former high court judge Sandip K. Shinde, which was set up by the state government in 2022, found substantial lapses and potential financial dealings in several transplants approved during his term.
Separately, Dr Taware is also embroiled in the Porsche crash case, in which he allegedly directed hospital staff to tamper with a teenager’s blood sample to shield him from drunk-driving charges. It was discovered that the boy’s blood sample had been switched with that of his mother, under instructions from Dr Taware. However, DNA tests conducted using a second, undisclosed sample confirmed the manipulation.
As per the prosecution, during Dr Taware’s time as RACOT chairperson, nine kidney transplants were performed using questionable documentation. A separate inquiry by the Health Department, led by Dr Sadhana Tayde, led to an FIR being filed at Koregaon Park Police Station in May 2022. Multiple individuals, including Ruby Hall Clinic staff, were booked under various charges such as cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and violations of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994.
Seven individuals associated with Ruby Hall Clinic have already been named in the chargesheet. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingale confirmed that forged paperwork and fictitious identities were used in transplant approvals under Dr Taware’s authority. While eight accused have been granted bail, one suspect, Bhau Sawant — who allegedly acted as a key facilitator — is still absconding.
Ruby Hall Clinic has maintained that its internal processes were followed and emphasized that the transplant was authorized by RACOT. The hospital also stated that there was no official system in place at the time for real-time verification of identity documents. Legal representative Manjusha Kulkarni added that hospital authorities had alerted the police upon discovering discrepancies during the discharge process.
