The Tamil Nadu Health Department has suspended the licenses of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital in Perambalur, linked to DMK MLA Kathiravan and Cethar Hospital in Trichy from performing kidney transplant surgeries, following a major organ trafficking investigation centered in Namakkal district.
The suspension order was issued by the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) under Section 16(2) of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, citing urgent public interest. The action follows a preliminary report submitted by a multi-departmental investigation committee probing illegal kidney transplants allegedly facilitated through a trafficking network operating in and around Pallipalayam and Kumarapalayam in Namakkal district.
The suspension comes in response to the first phase of the inquiry initiated after reports surfaced about the sale of human kidneys in Pallipalayam. Based on these reports, the Directorate constituted an inquiry led by Dr. S. Vineeth, Project Director of the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project, with participation from senior medical officers and police officials. The investigating team included Dr. R.M. Meenakshi Sundari (Joint Director, DMS), Dr. A. Rajmohan (Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, Namakkal), Dr. K. Marimuthu (Joint Director for Perambalur and Ariyalur), and Deputy Superintendent of Police Seetharaman. After field inspections and interviews in both hospitals and affected localities, the committee submitted a preliminary report, prompting the suspension of the hospitals’ transplant licenses under Section 16(2) of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994.
Background
The license suspension is linked to a widening kidney trafficking scandal that has drawn national attention and public outrage. The racket allegedly preyed upon over 90 poor women, mostly daily wage laborers, from the Pallipalayam and Kumarapalayam regions.
According to the investigation, the traffickers lured women with offers ranging from ₹5 to ₹10 lakh for a kidney, used forged Aadhaar cards and fake medical documents to process illegal transplants. In some cases, coerced women into donating kidneys under financial and social pressure.
The illegal surgeries were reportedly performed at Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College Hospital in Perambalur and Cethar Hospital in Trichy.
At the center of the racket is M. Anandan, a 52-year-old DMK party functionary from Anampalayam Perur, known locally as “Dravida Anandan.” He is accused of acting as a middleman, brokering kidney deals, transporting women to the hospitals for surgery, orchestrating the use of forged documents, fake seals, and government uniforms. Anandan is currently absconding. During a raid at his residence in Pallipalayam, police recovered counterfeit government IDs, forged medical records, stamped paper, hospital forms, as well as police and government official uniforms.
A formal complaint was lodged against Anandan by Dr. Veeramani, the medical officer at Pallipalayam Government Hospital.
The scandal has also spotlighted allegations of political interference and protection. DMK MLA Kathiravan, who represents Mannachanallur, is the son of the founder of the Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Group, which operates the Perambalur hospital at the center of the controversy. It is alleged that the hospital group has evaded penalties in past medical negligence cases, including during the COVID-19 crisis; political clout may have blocked the establishment of a long-announced government medical college hospital in Perambalur, which would have competed with the private chain. Additionally, the hospital held free medical camps in MLA Kathiravan’s constituency, which are now under suspicion as possible cover for organ harvesting.
Despite past allegations ranging from inadequate treatment, unsupervised medical interns, and avoidable deaths, the hospital has continued to operate without major restrictions, fueling accusations of systemic impunity.
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