A city-based married woman's kidney was allegedly removed by a con woman after luring her poor family with some money, police said today.
The incident took place about a fortnight ago when Padmini Naik's kidney was removed in Bhubaneswar after luring her poor family with some money, they said.
Acting on a tip-off, the relatives of the family made a frantic search for the woman's family and found her three children and husband at a place in neighbouring Jajpur district, police said.
"On the basis of a complaint by some relatives of the woman, Mangalabag police of the city have registered a case and started investigations", city DCP Sanjib Arora said, asserting that if the allegation turns out to be true, stringent action would be taken against the culprits.
Bhabagrahi Naik, his wife Padmini and their three children went missing from their house in Naik Sahi under Mangalabag police limits about a fortnight ago, police said.
"While the family was in abject poverty, their house was frequented by a neighbourhood woman with suspected motives just a few days before they went missing", they said.
The inklings of the relatives gained strength when Bhabagrahi disclosed that the con woman had given him Rs 50,000 and had promised to give another Rs 2.5 lakhs once his wife undergoes a minor surgery at a Bhubaneswar hospital, they said.
"We are now pretty sure that cashing in on the poverty of the family, a kidney theft racket trapped the family and clandestinely removed one of the kidneys of the woman in exchange of money", said a native of Naik Sahi.
Meanwhile, the city police have sent a team of experts to the Bhubaneswar hospital, where the woman is believed to be undergoing treatment, for further investigation.
Police are also on the lookout for the con woman, who is believed to be the kingpin of the racket.
