It Changed My Life: A peek into dark world of organ trading

Tech professional and ex-journalist throws light on illegal trade and its risks in medical thriller

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A friend's plight sent Mr Raju Chellam into the Dark Web, where he found out about organ trading. That experience inspired him to write a medical thriller titled Organ Gold.
Mr Chellam and his wife Uma Ramachandran on holiday in Malaysia. They have a daughter, now 29, working in IT in the US. A series of health issues faced by his wife and friends prompted Mr Raju Chellam to enter the Dark Web, where he found out a lot a
Mr Chellam in 1985 with the late US Senator Charles Percy who ran a consultancy to help US firms reach out to Asian customers. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RAJU CHELLAM
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Six years ago, Raju Chellam's close friend found himself in a bad way. His wife was suffering from end-stage renal failure and was in dire need of a kidney transplant.

He approached Mr Chellam for help in finding a donor because the IT professional has a deep interest in medicine and is conversant with medical procedures.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on September 23, 2018, with the headline It Changed My Life: A peek into dark world of organ trading. Subscribe