Thane: An extraordinary example of love, sacrifice, and brotherhood was witnessed in Kalyan when a police officer donated a part of his liver to save the life of his younger brother, also a policeman, who was suffering from acute-on-chronic liver failure. The successful liver transplant surgery was performed in Mumbai, and both brothers have now fully recovered. On Thursday, the brothers, along with their wives and the treating doctors, were introduced to the media in Kalyan.
Nityanand Rokade (38), a police constable with the Maharashtra Police posted at R A Kidwai Police station in Sewri, Mumbai, and a resident of Badlapur, began experiencing vomiting after meals and severe abdominal pain. He initially visited a local hospital in Badlapur, where medical tests conducted in June last year revealed acute liver failure. His condition rapidly deteriorated, he became severely jaundiced, dependent on ventilator support and blood pressure medication and had only one chance of survival through an urgent liver transplant.
Doctors advised that the transplant be performed at the earliest to save his life. When news of his critical condition reached his elder brother, Santosh Rokade (45), also a police officer posted at the Thane Police Commissionerate, he immediately shifted Nityanand to Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai Central.
Considering the severity of the condition, doctors recommended an immediate liver transplant. Without any hesitation, Santosh offered to donate a part of his liver to save his brother. After completing all mandatory evaluations, including blood group matching, CT scans, and receiving approval from the hospital’s transplant and donation committee, the surgery was successfully performed in July 2025.
Santosh Rokade said, “We are four siblings, one of our brothers works in a private firm and we both and our sister are in the police department, even my father served as a policeman in Maharashtra Police. After our mother passed away in 2003 due to cancer, I have taken care of my younger brother like my own child. When I learned about his condition, I was devastated and determined to save his life at any cost. I decided to donate a part of my liver, and fortunately, all the medical parameters matched. Six months later, both of us are healthy and have rejoined duty. My wife fully supported my decision.”
Dr. Swapnil Sharma, Consultant Liver Transplant and Gastrointestinal Surgeon at Wockhardt Hospital, said, “The patient was admitted in a critical state, battling acute-on-chronic liver failure. He was severely jaundiced, dependent on ventilator and blood pressure support, and had only one chance of survival through an urgent liver transplant. Without hesitation, his elder brother, also serving in the Maharashtra Police, stepped forward as a living donor.”
Dr. Sharma added that after extensive medical evaluations, the elder brother was found fit for donation. The transplant surgery was complex but successful and required meticulous coordination from a multidisciplinary liver transplant team comprising surgeons, anaesthetists, intensivists, radiologists, specialised ICU nurses, dietitians, and physiotherapists.
According to Dr. Sharma, liver transplantation in acute-on-chronic liver failure is among the most challenging procedures we perform. What stood out in this case was not just the medical complexity, but the extraordinary emotional strength of the two brothers. It was a rare instance where love, sacrifice, and science came together to defeat death.
Expressing his gratitude, Nityanand Rokade said, “I owe my life to my brother. Without thinking about his own life or family, he decided to give me a part of his liver. We wear the same uniform, but this time he saved me not as a police officer, but as my family. This is a debt I can never repay.”
