In a shocking display of arrogance and complete lack of remorse, a viral video shows Manachanallur DMK MLA Kathiravan openly admitting to 252 kidney transplants conducted at his Trichy hospital each allegedly earning him ₹2 to ₹3 lakh in profit. Addressing a crowd in Thirupattur, the sitting MLA brazenly compares the money earned from these surgeries to the ₹14.5 crore Rolls Royce owned by his father, sarcastically remarking, “When will I ever buy a Rolls Royce car?” The remarks have sparked widespread outrage, with many accusing the MLA of trivializing a serious crime involving alleged illegal organ trade.
Far from showing any regret, the MLA tries to frame the racket as a humanitarian act, claiming, “I saved the lives of 252 people.” His comments have been widely condemned as both morally bankrupt and legally damning.
Amid the uproar, former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai tore into the ruling DMK and its MLA, slamming the government’s inaction and silence on the scandal. Posting on X, Annamalai wrote, “Here is Manachanallur DMK MLA Thiru Kathiravan, boasting without shame. In a video, he compares the profit from illegal kidney operations at his Trichy hospital to the ₹14.5 crore price of his father’s Rolls-Royce, admitting he’d need to remove all the kidneys in Thirupattur to afford one. This is not a joke. Poor weavers from Namakkal were lured, their kidneys stolen, and the MLA himself admits in this video that his hospital made at least ₹7.5 crore from this trade. Yet, the DMK Govt has taken no concrete action. Has their functionary Dravida Anandan, the middleman in this kidney theft racket, even been arrested?”
In the viral video DMK MLA said, “After covering the medical expenses and doctor’s fees for each kidney operation, I am left with only 2 to 3 lakh rupees. Do you know the price of my father’s Rolls-Royce car? It is ₹14.5 crore. The total number of (kidney) operations that we have carried out is only 252. With a profit of just 2 lakh rupees per kidney operation, when can I ever buy a Rolls-Royce car? I could have bought it only if I had removed all the kidneys from people in Thirupattur. My only concern is that no one realized I saved the lives of 252 people.”
Here is Manachanallur DMK MLA Thiru Kathiravan, boasting without shame.
In a video, he compares the profit from illegal kidney operations at his Trichy hospital to the ₹14.5 crore price of his father’s Rolls-Royce, admitting he’d need to remove all the kidneys in Thirupattur to… pic.twitter.com/4PqAJYeyEj
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) August 13, 2025
Despite the MLA’s public admission, there has been no visible action or arrest from the DMK government. Activists and opposition leaders are calling this a shameful cover-up, raising serious concerns about the political protection allegedly shielding those involved in this medical exploitation.
It is noteworthy that one of the hospitals mired in the TN kidney trafficking scandal is none other than the Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital in Perambalur, run by the DMK MLA Kathiravan’s father.
The scandal, which has captured national attention, centers on the exploitation of more than 90 impoverished women, many of whom are daily wage workers. Investigators allege that these women were promised between ₹5 to ₹10 lakh in exchange for their kidneys. The traffickers allegedly used counterfeit Aadhaar cards and fabricated medical documents to facilitate the transplants. In some instances, the women were coerced under financial distress and social pressure into undergoing surgery.
The illicit operations were reportedly carried out at Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Hospital in Perambalur and Cethar Hospital in Trichy. At the heart of the racket is M. Anandan, a 52-year-old DMK functionary from Anampalayam Perur, known locally as “Dravida Anandan.” He is accused of serving as a middleman, arranging deals, transporting donors, and forging official documents, seals, and even wearing fake government uniforms to aid the operation. Anandan is currently absconding. Authorities recovered forged documents, fake IDs, and official attire during a raid on his home.
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