Uttar Pradesh : In a shocking display of regulatory failure and public health negligence, a Delhi resident identified as Salman Bhai, operating through the so-called ‘Maya Group’, organised a commercial camp in Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Nagar (Mugalsarai) on Sunday, openly promising treatment for baldness (ganjapan) and alopecia using unproven herbal medicines. Over 1,500 people from Mughalsarai, Dhanpura, Chakiya and Sayedraja areas reportedly attended the event, paying entry fees of ₹100–200 each. Yet, the District Ayurved Officer, the Ayurved Drugs Inspector and the local police turned a blind eye, allowing blatant quackery, misleading claims and potential cheating to go unchecked.
According to the organisers themselves, the herbal medicine (jadi-booti wali dava) was “specially for individuals suffering from baldness and alopecia”. Detailed instructions were given: apply the paste, wash after 15 minutes for alopecia patients or 5–10 minutes for general baldness, avoid washing the head for four days, use only coconut oil initially, then switch to a “special medicinal oil” every night, and continue treatment for 3–4 months for “better results”. Organisers even normalised possible side effects like mild swelling or pimples, advising victims to “consult a doctor” if severe. In Delhi, they claimed, the same medicine is given free – raising serious questions about why entry fees were charged here.
Medical Science is Clear: Alopecia Cannot Be “Cured” by Herbs or Any Miracle Remedy
Standard medical textbooks leave no room for doubt. As per Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology and the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (professional editions), alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition with no permanent cure; treatments only stimulate temporary regrowth and the disease often recurs spontaneously. Androgenetic alopecia (the common male/female pattern baldness) is genetically driven and progressive – FDA-approved drugs like minoxidil and finasteride merely slow hair loss and produce modest regrowth in some cases; discontinuation leads to reversal. Dermatology references from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) explicitly state: “No one treatment works for everyone… treatment is not always recommended… many people, especially children, regrow hair without any treatment.”
There is zero scientific evidence in any peer-reviewed textbook or journal for a herbal “jadi-booti” delivering a complete cure in 3–4 months. Such claims are classic quackery tactics – exaggerated, unscientific and designed to exploit desperate patients.
Foolish Claims, Cheating and Legal Violations Galore
The camp openly violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 – a central law still in force. Baldness is explicitly listed at Serial No. 5 in the Schedule to the Act. Section 3(d) prohibits any person from publishing or taking part in any advertisement (including oral claims at public camps) referring to a drug “for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention” of any scheduled disease. Punishment includes imprisonment up to six months or fine or both; repeat offences attract harsher penalties.
The event also breached the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules (applicable to AYUSH drugs). No evidence exists that the herbal concoction was manufactured under a valid AYUSH manufacturing licence, tested for safety/efficacy, or approved by the State Licensing Authority. Ministry of AYUSH guidelines repeatedly warn against “misleading advertisements and exaggerated claims” for ASU&H (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani & Homoeopathy) products. Charging entry fees for an unproven, unlicensed “treatment” further constitutes cheating under Section 318 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and violates the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Apathy of Authorities: A Complete Regulatory Collapse
Despite the camp being held openly in a public place with massive footfall, the following officers failed to act:
District Ayurved Officer, Chandauli – Responsible for regulating AYUSH practices and preventing quackery in the district. No inspection, no seizure of medicines, no notice issued.
Ayurved Drugs Inspector – Tasked with checking quality, licensing and misleading claims of herbal drugs. Complete inaction even after 1,500 people were exposed to potentially unsafe paste.
Local Police, Mughalsarai – The Drugs & Magic Remedies Act violations are cognizable offences. No FIR, no raid, no preventive action despite clear commercial exploitation.
This is not an isolated lapse. Uttar Pradesh has seen repeated Supreme Court directions (including in D.K. Joshi v. State of U.P. (2000)) and state government circulars mandating District Magistrates, CMOs and AYUSH officers to crack down on unqualified practitioners. Yet here, a paid public event promoting an incurable condition’s “cure” was allowed to proceed unhindered.
Hundreds of patients – many from poor and semi-urban backgrounds – have been misled into wasting money and harbouring false hope. Side effects like swelling and pimples could worsen their condition. Future camps are reportedly planned.
The people of Chandauli demand immediate answers: Why were the District Ayurved Officer, Ayurved Drugs Inspector and police silent? Will the medicines be seized and tested? Will an FIR be registered under the DMR Act and IPC? Will Salman Bhai and the Maya Group face legal action?
The silence of the authorities is not mere negligence – it is active complicity in cheating vulnerable citizens. The District Administration, AYUSH Department and Police must wake up before more such fraudulent camps turn Mugalsarai into a hub of quackery. Public health cannot be sacrificed at the altar of apathy.
