Blood racket busted at Jabalpur Medical College:2 caught selling units for ₹5,000; police probe links to 50-member gang

A major racket of illegal blood trade has been exposed at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Members of a social organisation caught two men selling blood to patients for Rs 4,000–5,000 per unit and handed them over to Garha police. The accused, who have long been active in the hospital, are part of a gang with more than 50 members involved in collecting and selling blood illegally. Gang members caught red-handed On Saturday, two accused — Annu and Johnson, both residents of Jabalpur — were trapped by volunteers from a social organisation that provides free blood to the poor. Members of the group posed as patient relatives and approached the duo, who demanded Rs 5,000 for a unit of blood. The accused told them to pay the money first and promised to bring blood shortly. Soon after, both were caught and handed over to police. Social organisation’s sting operation For several days, the organisation had received complaints that patients’ relatives were being forced to buy blood from touts outside the hospital. To confirm this, two women volunteers posed as buyers and contacted the accused. As soon as the brokers reached a local coffee house to finalise the deal, security staff and other members surrounded them. Photos of the accused had already been shared with guards to prevent their escape. Both were caught as soon as they stepped outside and taken to Garha police station. Hospital security involved in the operation Vikas Naidu, Chief Security Officer of the Medical College, said the accused had tried to flee but were quickly stopped by guards. The operation was carried out with the support of the Medical Security Department. Rahul Tiwari, a member of the social organisation, said the group regularly arranges blood for thalassemia patients and the poor. He revealed that the gang had been selling blood to patients’ relatives for months, taking advantage of those who could not get blood from official sources. Over 50 people linked to the racket According to Rahul Tiwari, the illegal network involves over 50 people. They are responsible for everything — from collecting blood to selling it. The gang is believed to have contacts in blood banks and outside sources. He added that many patients coming from distant areas for treatment were being approached by brokers who offered blood for a high price. Police begin investigation CSP Ashish Jain confirmed that both accused were handed over to Garha police by the social organisation. Initial findings suggest they had direct links with people inside blood banks. Police are now investigating how many people have been cheated and where the blood came from. Medical college launches internal probe Dean of the Medical College, Dr Navneet Saxena, called the incident a serious crime. He said strict action would be taken against anyone involved in selling blood. The hospital administration has instructed the security agency to increase surveillance around the blood bank and check every suspicious person. Dr Saxena said no illegal dealings will be tolerated on campus. Blood bank under suspicion This is not the first time blood traffickers have been caught in the medical college. Despite earlier action, the racket continues to operate. Officials now suspect involvement of some blood bank staff. The recurring cases of illegal blood sales raise questions about the hospital’s security and suggest a deep-rooted network of corruption thriving at the expense of needy patients.