Pune: Inquiry Into Sahyadri Hospital Liver Transplant Deaths Now Transferred to Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital
Pune, 12th November 2025: Two months after the death of a husband and wife following a liver transplant surgery at Sahyadri Hospital in Pune’s Deccan area, action on the report of a high-level inquiry committee remains pending. Meanwhile, after Sassoon General Hospital declined to investigate the case citing lack of qualified specialists, the Pune Police have now sought an inquiry from Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital.
The incident dates back to August 15, when patient Bapu Komkar died after undergoing a liver transplant at Sahyadri Hospital. His wife, Kamini Komkar, who had donated a part of her liver, passed away a week later on August 22. The family of the deceased accused the hospital of medical negligence, following which the state health department ordered a high-level probe and temporarily halted transplant surgeries at Sahyadri Hospital.
The Komkar family subsequently lodged a formal complaint at the Deccan Police Station. In response, the police wrote to Sassoon Hospital in September requesting an independent medical inquiry. However, Sassoon declined, stating that the hospital lacked both a gastroenterologist and a liver surgeon — specialists essential for such an investigation.
“Both these experts are required for the inquiry, and since they are not available at our hospital, it was not possible to conduct the investigation,” said Dr. Yallapa Jadhav, Medical Superintendent, Sassoon General Hospital.
With Sassoon’s refusal, the Deccan Police sent a fresh request last week to J.J. Hospital in Mumbai to undertake the probe. A committee from J.J. Hospital is now expected to examine the case and submit its findings.
The state-appointed high-level committee, chaired by Dr. Mohammed Rela, president of the International Liver Transplant Society, and with Dr. Bhagwan Pawar, deputy director of health services, as member secretary, had convened its first meeting via video conference on August 29. The team later visited Sahyadri Hospital on September 25 for an on-site inspection.
However, the committee’s final report is still awaited, raising concerns over the delay in action despite the serious nature of the case.
