Kolkata, Feb 10: A man was held in West Bengal's Murshidabad district for selling off his wife's kidney without her consent. The accused, identified as Biswajit Sarkar, was held on Monday after his wife Ritu Sarkar filed an FIR, claiming that her kidney was sold off by her husband nearly two years ago.

The 28-year-old victim said she have been feeling a sharp ache in her abdomen for the last two years, but came to know lately about her kidney transplant when she visited a medical facility to get herself treated.

The husband, a cloth merchant, sold off her kidney to a Chattisgarh-based businessman, the preliminary probe revealed.

According to Ritu, Biswajit traded away her kidney to compensate the less than expected dowry given to her in-laws at their marriage in 2005. Though Ritu's father had given Rs 1,80,000 in cash, along with gold and silver, the in-laws kept pressuring her for more.

While the accused has admitted selling off the organ, he has denied any foul play. He claimed his wife had agreed to the kidney transplant, and even signed the letter of consent. Ritu, however, denied the charge.

Murshidabad police is investigating all angles related to the case. The involvement of a large-scale kidney racket could not be ruled out, the authorities claimed.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 10, 2018 06:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).