In a disturbing development in the Namakkal kidney trafficking case that earlier sent shockwaves across Tamil Nadu, investigators have uncovered allegations that a woman was taken abroad to Singapore in 2016, where her kidney was removed after she was allegedly deceived with promises of financial relief. The case is now being probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), following fresh revelations during the ongoing inquiry.
According to the complaint, the woman, a resident of the Pallipalayam area in Namakkal district, was targeted while her family was struggling under severe debt and harassment from moneylenders. Her husband was employed at a well-known textile shop in Salem, and it is alleged that the shop owner required a kidney transplant and approached the family. Though the family initially refused, mounting financial pressure reportedly left them with little choice.
The woman has alleged that she was promised ₹50 lakh in exchange for the kidney, along with assurances that her debts would be cleared and her children’s education and future livelihood would be taken care of. She claims that the shop owner’s family arranged her passport and travel, and that she was taken by flight to Singapore, where the kidney was removed at a hospital. Upon returning to India, she was allegedly paid only ₹10 lakh, with the remaining ₹40 lakh withheld.
The complainant has stated that her passport and documents were later taken back by those involved, and that when she demanded the remaining amount, she was threatened and told the balance could not be paid. Fearing retaliation and concerned for the safety of her two daughters, the woman remained silent for several years before finally approaching the SIT.
Investigators say the complaint has opened up a wider line of inquiry, as illegal kidney trafficking in Pallipalayam and nearby Kumarapalayam areas had earlier been exposed, prompting the formation of the SIT. Officials are now examining whether the case is part of a larger organised racket exploiting vulnerable families through debt traps and false promises.
The woman has reportedly suffered recurring health complications following the surgery and has been unable to afford adequate medical treatment, pushing the family further into financial distress. Though the alleged organ removal took place nearly a decade ago, it has only now come to light through the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are also probing claims that victims from Tamil Nadu have been taken not only to Singapore but also to countries such as Malaysia and Cambodia for illegal organ removal, raising serious concerns about possible links to international organ trafficking networks. Questions have been raised about how such cross-border operations were facilitated and who all were involved behind the scenes.
With poverty and usurious lending practices allegedly being used to coerce victims, there are growing demands for a comprehensive investigation to identify the key perpetrators, expose the full extent of the trafficking network, and ensure that all those responsible are brought before the law.
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