Man’s body exhumed over organ theft allegation

BERHAMPUR: Baliguda police in Kandhamal district exhumed the body of a man on Friday after his family alleged that his organs were stolen at a private hospital in Cuttack.

According to reports, Babula Diggal of Tikarbaju village met with an accident on October 13 at Tadang Ghat near Tumudibandh in Kandhamal. He was initially admitted to Baliguda Hospital and later shifted to the Phulbani district headquarters hospital. As his condition worsened, he was referred to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, where he was allegedly denied admission due to an ongoing agitation.

On the suggestion of a broker, Babula’s family admitted him to Rudra Hospital, a private healthcare center in Cuttack, on October 15. They deposited ₹1 lakh for the surgery. “Though the hospital told us the surgery was successful, my father died the next day,” said Babula’s son, Isqak. He noted that Babula’s body was brought back to Tikarbaju, where family members were shocked to see stitch marks on his abdomen.

Isqak explained that his father had suffered head injuries, and since his abdomen was stitched, the family suspected that his organs had been stolen at the hospital. Their suspicion grew when hospital authorities insisted they take Babula’s body without an autopsy and even arranged an ambulance for transport to the village. In an attempt to prevent decomposition, the family buried the body without informing the police.