"Baba" Balbir charged with selling body parts

[stopsingh]

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041130/.../punjab1.htm#52

Baba, doctor booked for selling eyes

Jangveer Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, November 29

The local police today registered a case against Baba Balbir Singh, who runs a Pingal Ashram on the outskirts of the city, on the charges of selling eyes of persons who died in his “ashram” in connivance with a doctor, who runs a private eye hospital in the city.

The local police claims that the Baba and the private eye hospital owner, Dr Rajinder Sharma, have been running a racket of selling eyes of persons who died at the Baba’s ashram to needy persons at a price. Besides booking the Baba, the police has also booked Dr Rajinder Sharma who runs Sharma Eye Hospital behind the Government Rajindra Hospital, and one of his employees Mann Singh.

Sources said while Mann Singh has been arrested, Dr Rajinder Sharma is absconding. The Baba is out of the city presently. The local police has raided the Pingal Ashram situated on the outskirts of the city near Sanaur.

Baba Balbir Singh had tried to hog the limelight for the past four to five years by offering to take care of neglected mentally challenged persons. And for this he was recently listed among the top 20 citizens of Patiala along with the likes of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, in a directory taken out by the Dedicated Brothers Group, a prominent NGO of the city.

The Baba has taken up the custody of mentally challenged persons, who do not have home as well as those who are put under his care because their parents or relatives are u

nable to take care of them. He usually has around 300 such persons under his care at the ashram which has taken shape over the years under a system where more than 50 vehicles collected money for the cause in villages in this district as well as elsewhere.

The ashram was in the news in July this year when three inmates of the ashram died due to diarrhoea. During this period 20 other inmates had to be hospitalised and the District Health Department had intervened to provide medicines to the ashram, besides checking the condition of the inmates. It was then highlighted by The Tribune that the ashram did not have doctor or a nurse or even a dispensary on its premises despite the fact that it was dealing with the mentally challenged.

The Baba had during an interview then claimed that he had kept 100 persons to collect donations from nearby villages and cities.

Two years back, the ashram was in the news when it was reported that mentally challenged persons were being kept in iron chains there. The inmates were photogrpahed in a pitiable condition chained to trees and even grills of their rooms.