Kerala High Court denies bail to accused in organ trafficking case

The Kerala High Court has denied bail to Muhammed Najeeb Kallatra who was accused of engaging in organised organ trafficking under the guise of lawful organ donation through Kallatras Medical Tourism Private Ltd.

Justice Kauser Edappagath observed that there was a prima facie case of a premeditated criminal act by the accused. The court noted in the analysis of WhatsApp chats that Kallatra had transmitted documents to the other accused to prepare forged documents for the alleged illegal operations. The Google Pay account history also disclosed multiple monetary transactions, and a WhatsApp voice recording was recovered where Kallatra had instructed another accused person to prepare a forged laboratory report to facilitate illegal organ transplants.

A statement by one of the donors had revealed that he received ₹9 lakh in cash for donating his kidney, and all the necessary documents had been arranged by Kallatra for the purpose. The donor accused Kallatra of exploiting his financial distress for illegal organ trade.

Expressing concern over the gravity of the offence, the court said that organ trafficking exploited vulnerable populations, fuelled transnational crime networks, and undermined public trust in legitimate medical systems, and held that Kallatra could not be released on bail.