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The Himlayan Times: Breaking News, Views, Reviews, Sports, Business, Entertainment from Nepal
Kathmandu/Chitwan February 7 - A special team of the Kathmandu police today arrested Indian national Dr Amit Kumar, the alleged kingpin in the sensational kidney racket that has been making headlines in India. Kumar was nabbed at 5 pm from a Sauraha-based hotel in Chitwan district of southern Nepal close to the Indian border. Police sources told this daily that they tracked him down to the hotel that is located about 60 km from the Indian border town of Raxaul.
Sources said Kumar and his Nepali associate Manish Singh checked into Room no 6 of the Hotel Wildlife Camp around 10 am this morning under assumed Nepali names. Singh, speaking fluent Nepali, booked the room for two giving his address as being in Kupondole 3 of Sanepa in Kathmandu.
Eyewitnesses said a little later a police team reached the hotel and began enquiring about the guests. The policemen showed the receptionist a photograph of Kumar and asked if he was staying in the hotel. Even as he was making a positive identification, Kumar's Nepali associate fled the hotel.
The police team then rushed to the room and arrested Kumar. The doctor who has been on the run ever since Indian television channels broke the kidney racket story did not resist when he was handcuffed. Hotel employee Maheshwar Regmi said that when the police were arresting Kumar, he pleaded with them to let him go saying, "I will give you Rs 20 lakhs if you let me go."
Regmi said that soon after checking in, the duo had asked to see a copy of The Himalayan Times that front-paged a report today on the kidney racket and about the presence of the Indian kidney kingpin in Nepal and his key Nepali agent. Eyewitnesses said Kumar clipped out the story and returned the paper to the reception.
They said that Kumar was sporting a hat and sunglasses and added that the police took him to Kathmandu. Yesterday, after reaching Sauraha the duo had gone to the main money exchange center there and tried to exchange Indian currency.
Meanwhile, Indian Embassy officials here denied any knowledge of the arrest. They said that normally the Nepali authorities inform the mission about the arrest of any Indian national. When contacted Senior Superintendent of Police Upendra Kanth Aryal, said investigation was underway and declined to comment further.
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