West Bengal Police's anti-corruption wing on Tuesday, 25 August arrested three laboratory technicians attached to the state-run Panskura Super Speciality Hospital in East Midnapore district on charges of black marketing of blood. The accused allegedly exploited government blood banks and voluntary donation camps to illegally profit from blood scarcity, according to police.

How the Racket Operated

According to a state police official, the accused had devised a systematic method to exploit the blood donation network. 'Whenever they got information about any club or voluntary organisation organising blood donation camps, they used to approach the organisers and purchase donor cards from them at extremely low prices ranging from ₹100 to ₹150 for each card,' the official said.

Using these cards, the trio would collect blood pouches from government blood banks free of cost and then sell them at premium prices to families of patients in urgent need. 'The rarer the category of blood, the higher was the price,' the official added. The three accused shared the proceeds among themselves.

A Bigger Racket Suspected

Investigators believe the three arrested technicians are part of a larger organised network. The anti-corruption wing is currently interrogating the accused to uncover further links. Police have also placed under surveillance various clubs and organisations that regularly conduct blood donation camps, suspecting they may have been unwittingly — or otherwise — drawn into the supply chain.

The identities of the three accused have not yet been disclosed by police.

Calcutta High Court's Earlier Intervention

The arrests come against the backdrop of a broader crackdown on blood irregularities in West Bengal. Earlier in August 2025, the Calcutta High Court directed the state Health Department to expedite its ongoing probe into 11 private blood banks accused of severe irregularities, including illegally selling blood and plasma to other states.

The Health Department had already imposed a ban on these 11 private banks from conducting blood donation camps anywhere in the state until further orders. One of the implicated banks challenged the ban before a bench of Justice Krishna Rao, who declined to interfere in the probe but set a firm deadline for the department to complete its investigation.

What Comes Next

With the anti-corruption wing now holding three suspects and monitoring donation camp organisers, the scope of the investigation is likely to widen. The parallel High Court proceedings against private blood banks signal that authorities are under judicial pressure to act decisively. How far the alleged racket extends — and whether it connects to the private bank irregularities already under scrutiny — remains the central question for investigators.