SRINAGAR: The left kidney and ureter of a perfectly healthy 19-yrold boy Mohammed Rafiq Mir were taken out in a Jodhpur hospital without his knowledge or consent while he was in judicial custody according to Mir and doctors who have examined him thoroughly at the S.K. Institute of Medial Sciences here.

H.N. Wanchoo general secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the All India Peace and Solidarity Organization approached the J & K High Court on January 22 seeking a judicial enquiry in to the matter. The court has asked the government to file is reply within 14 days. Army authorities are starting their own enquiry into the incident according to an army spokesman.

A resident of Khomoh near Shutloo in Baramullah district Mir is a self-confessed would-be militant. He was caught near Machhil on the line of control in the winter of 1990-91 trying to cross over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He was in a group of 13 of which three were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces and 10 were arrested.

The illiterate Mir knows that after his arrest he was taken to Udhampur where he was interrogated. Nothing came of that and he was flown to Jodhpur jail. “There was a lot of sand and it was very hot. I did not know it was Jodhpur A Sikh cell inmate told me.

Mir lost count of the months he spent in that jail but one day he was taken blind folded in a vehicle “We drove for about 30 minutes then I had to climb three steps before the blindfold was taken off found myself in room with four men and a woman all in green uniforms Blood was taken out of my finger and near the elbow.

“I asked why they were taking the blood. They said was ill said there was nothing wrong with me Then something was inserted Lough my penis. It felt hot. I wanted it to be taken out and they did so.

“Then they brought me three sheets of paper with something written on it. They asked me to put my thumb impressions on them refused. They said I would be released if I did that. I did nothing. Then one of them caught my thumb put ink on it and put my impression on the paper. After that they put a mask on my face.

“The next thing I remember me way laying in a bed in a room with white walls a photograph of a tiger on the wall. I was in a lot of pain and I found my stomach was bandaged. There was another bed in the room and a nurse was sitting on it. There was a policeman in one comer. Asked the nurse what had happened to me? She did not answer. I said I was in a lot of pain. The policeman came and abused me. After that I did not say anything.

“That evening one doctor came again asked him what had happened. He said Tumhara ek kidney rukal llya. I did not know what he meant and I asked why my kidney was taken out. He did not say anything but gave me a card and said “if you have a problem go to this doctor.” Mir showed the card it was of an urologist in Bombay.

Mir continued. After a while I was blindfolded again and taken back on the jail. There was so much pain I could not stand up. That same Sikh prisoner massaged me fed me. He said “forget what has happened.” After 10 days one doctor came to the jail and pulled off my bandages and cut the stitches. It pained me a lot.

“I was in that jail for another month or so. Then I was again blindfolded driven and flown somewhere. I was kept in a dark cell where four meals were brought to me. Then I was blindfolded again and put in a truck. The truck stopped they asked me to get down.

“After a while I removed my blindfold and found myself in a park. 1 asked someone where I was and he said Udhampur. Two men helped me to get home. I still could not stand and they paid for my ticket.

“At home I went to the local doctor. He heard what had happened then sent me here. These doctors are treating me. I am feeling a little better now.”

Wasim Malik one of the doctors who had examined Mir takes over at this point. When we heard this boy’s story we questioned him at great length about whether he had any previous history of any urinary disease. We found none. There was no sign of hematuria dysuria oliguria or any ureteric colic. The scar was pink showing that it was recent. It was in the left lumbar region about eight inches long…

“”Now if you want to remove a diseased kidney you do not have to cut to that length. Nor if you want to remove a diseased ureter (the pipe from the kidney to the bladder). A surgeon would make a scar of his length only if he wanted to remove the entire kidney and ureter for a transplant. It is also known that the left kidney is preferred to the right for a transplant.

“We conducted an IVP test an intravenous pyelogram better described as intravenous program. We found that everything was normal except that the left kidney and ureter could not be visualized. That could indicate there was no kidney or a totally non-functioning kidney.

“So then we conducted an ultrasound test where again everything was normal except that the left Kidney was not seen in the left renal area. Even a non-functioning kidney should have shown there as a mass Short of opening up the abdomen again there cannot be any more proof but we were convinced that there was no left Kidney and ureter

Article extracted from this publication >> February 14, 1992