In a first, cop to be part of Organ Transplant committee to sniff out crime | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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In a first, cop to be part of Organ Transplant committee to sniff out crime

ByGautam S. Mengle
Jan 31, 2023 12:40 AM IST

The move comes in the wake of a letter written by the committee to the Azad Maidan police around a month ago

Mumbai: For the first time in the state, a police officer has been deputed to serve on the Organ Transplant Committee for the Mumbai City region, in an attempt to prevent crimes related to organ donation.

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The move comes in the wake of a letter written by the committee to the Azad Maidan police around a month ago.

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The city has two committees that oversee the process of organ donation: one which operates out of Cama and Albless Hospital and looks after the Mumbai City region and a second one that works out of KEM Hospital in Parel and looks after the suburbs.

The Mumbai City committee is headed by Dr Tushar Palve, superintendent of Cama Hospital. Dr Palve said, “We had made the request in light of two cases in Maharashtra, and one in another state, observed in the last one year, where serious misconduct had come to light in the organ donation and transplant process. We had sought a serving officer on the committee so that such incidents could be avoided.”

He said that organ donation is classified under three categories; cadaver donation, donation of organs from blood relatives and donation from family members who are not directly related by blood.

“It is in the third category that the highest risk of crimes exists. If a donor and recipient approach us claiming to be family members, we always examine their documents. However, policemen, with their experience and investigative expertise, are better equipped to flag any attempts at forgery or fake documents. Further, they are adept at reading body language and identifying discrepancies or suspicious statements while speaking to the donor or the recipient,” said Dr Palve.

Accordingly, the committee had written to the Azad Maidan police station, under whose jurisdiction they are based, and last week, the police approved the proposal to attach a sub inspector rank officer to the committee.

Senior police inspector Bhushan Belnekar, Azad Maidan police station, confirmed that the request had been approved.

A senior police officer added, “Having an officer on such a crucial committee is equally beneficial for us, as it provides us a direct line into on-ground intelligence from the medical fraternity. This would equip us better in terms of knowledge of various scams, like financial frauds in the name of organ donation, or other crimes, like use of force or intimidation in the process. Further, it helps us identify any persons who are notorious or habitual offenders, so that we can keep a better watch on them.”

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