Doctor’s bail rejected in illegal kidney transplant case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday dismissed post-arrest bail petition of Dr Fawad Mumtaz facing charges of illegal kidney transplantation.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had arrested him red-handed transplanting kidney of two Pakistani nationals to Omani citizens for Rs 6 million. He is in jail since his arrest in April, 2017.

Dr Fawad, who was working as an assistant professor at Lahore General Hospital, pleaded that he had been falsely involved in the case and he had never ever committed such a heinous crime of illegal kidney transplantation.

Opposing the bail petition, deputy attorney general Javaid Kasuri told the court that Dr Fawad was the prime suspect in the scam and received huge amounts for illegal kidney transplantation. The law officer said he used ‘benami account’ for money deals.

After hearing arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Chief Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali rejected his bail petition. Federal Investigation Agency inspector Nayyar Tirmazi and sub-inspector Riaz Butt also informed the court that an additional district and sessions judge dismissed bail petition of a woman involved in the scandal.

They said suspect Safia Bibi was a facilitator of doctors involved in illegal transplantation of kidney and other human organs. The agency had arrested Dr Fawad Mumtaz, Dr Altamash Kharal, Umar Draz and Muhammad Shahzad during a raid at a house in EME Society, Thokar Niaz Beg when they were allegedly transplanting kidneys to some foreigners. And the suspect woman was arrested on the information provided by them.