Doctor from Salem held in kidney racket

COIMBATORE: In a major breakthrough in the ongoing probe into the illegal kidney racket operating out of western Tamil Nadu, Dharmapuri police arrested a private doctor from Salem district late Wednesday night. V M Ganesan, a consultant nephrologist at a major private hospital in Salem district, has confessed to having performed 80 surgeries for the racket, according to police sources.

"We arrested the doctor on the basis of a complaint filed with us in Dharmapuri, in which he was accused of taking money for performing a kidney transplant operation through Aiyyavu and his brokers, who are already under arrest," said K Parameshwara, deputy superintendent of police, Dharmapuri.

Dr Ganesan was arrested from Salem on the basis of a complaint filed by A Kathavarayan of Pennagaram in Dharmapuri district, working with a private firm in Bangalore. In 2011, Ganesan, a consultant with Vinayaka Mission Hospital near Seeragapadi, Salem, was working with SKS Hospital India Private Limited near the main bus stand in Salem when Kathavarayan's father Aiyyar, a renal patient, came under his treatment. "Dr Ganesan was working with SKS Hospital where he met the patient and told his family that a kidney transplant surgery had to be conducted and introduced them to Aiyyavu. A deal was struck and accordingly Rs 2 lakh was paid to Aiyyavu for arranging the illegal donor and Ganesan demanded an additional Rs 1 lakh for his services," Parameshwara added.

A woman donor was produced before the regional renal transplant authorisation committee with fake documents that certified her to be Kathavarayan's secondary relative. However, the surgery could not be performed as medical complications arose before the surgery. The family members demanded Ganesan to repay the money paid to him and the agents since the surgery was not performed. Ganesan returned Rs 50,000 while Aiyyavu refused to return the amount. "Aiyyar died within a few months as the family was unable to arrange another donor. Kathavarayan registered a complaint with us after news broke about the kidney racket," Parameshwara added.

Representatives at SKS hospital claimed Ganesan was asked to resign from their hospital in April this year due to repeated complaints from his patients. They also added that not even a single renal transplant surgery was performed at their hospital while he was associated with them. "Ganesan is no more associated with our hospital. He was asked to put in his papers on April 4, 2013. We had received lots of complaints about him seeking money from patients. Our hospital is not authorised to carry out renal transplant surgeries and we have not conducted a single surgery," said Vairamuthu, deputy general manager, SKS Hospital.

Vinayaka Medical Mission management also distanced themselves from the tainted doctor and claimed that Ganesan was working as a part time consultant with them as well as many other hospitals in the district. Hospital representatives said they will initiate disciplinary action against him. "Dr Ganesan has been with us since 2009 and had performed about 75 to 80 surgeries in our hospital. We have nothing to hide and have maintained all the records. Our top management is discussing the issue and we will take appropriate action against him," said V Ganesh, manager, human resources, Vinayaka Mission Hospital, Salem.

Dr Ganesan is the first medical practitioner to be arrested since the illegal kidney racket was bust last week. The total number of accused in the case has gone up to six with his arrest as the police had already arrested five persons allegedly touts earlier this week.

On Jan 9, 2026, Madras high court high court discharged nephrologist and organ transplant surgeon M Ganesan from the illegal kidney transplant case, citing procedural violations and concluding that the doctor had been subjected to harassment. Read here
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