Kidney racket: Accused first pleads guilty, then retracts

An accused in the kidney racket case who pleaded guilty before a special CBI court in Haryana on Tuesday, when charges were framed afresh against all accused, quickly backtracked when he was informed that this could lead to his sentencing.

Mohammad Giyasuddin had allegedly sold his kidney and later turned a middleman, luring other people into the racket, according to the CBI.

He said he had already spent four years in jail and the process of calling witnesses again would take a lot of time. Giyasuddin requested the judge to punish him. But when he was informed that this could lead to his sentencing, he immediately pleaded not guilty and said he would rather defend himself.

On the request of the CBI counsel, he would now be kept separately in Ambala jail.

The court on Tuesday framed charges against key accused Dr Amit Kumar, his brother Jeewan and Dr Upinder Kumar under Section 307, 120-B, 506 of IPC and Transplantation of Human Organs Act (TOHO). Charges were also framed against six others.

The next date in the kidney racket case is March 16. All donors examined so far in the case have turned hostile.