In a significant crackdown on unauthorized medical practice, Surat police have arrested two individuals falsely posing as doctors and providing medical treatment without valid qualifications. The suspects, identified as Lalita Kripa Shankar Singh and Prayag Ramchandra Prasad, were found operating a clinic in the city where they prescribed allopathic medications to patients.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Singh Gurjar stated that Lalita, who has completed education up to Class 12, and Prayag, who has only completed Class 10, were apprehended during an investigation that revealed they lacked any legitimate medical degrees or certifications. Authorities seized various medicines and essential documents from their clinic for further examination.
The arrests were made by the Umra Police Station in conjunction with the local health department as part of an ongoing initiative to eliminate fake doctors from the city.
Authorities are now investigating the duration of their operation and the extent of their fraudulent medical practices. Legal action against both individuals is currently in progress.
Earlier this month, the Pandesara police dismantled a fake doctors’ degree racket that had been operating for nearly two decades, leading to the arrest of 14 individuals, including the two masterminds behind the scheme. This operation allegedly allowed at least 1,500 people to practice as unqualified doctors.
The main suspects, Dr. B.K. Ravat and Dr. Rasesh Gujarati from Ahmedabad, reportedly issued counterfeit Bachelor of Electro Homeopathic Medicine (BEMS) degrees, charging around Rs 75,000 each, according to Time of India. Initial investigations suggest they earned over Rs 10 crore from their illicit activities. Dr. Ravat possesses a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree, while Dr. Gujarati has a Diploma in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (DHMS) and is linked to a hospital in Surat.
The racket came to light when police found unqualified practitioners operating three clinics—Kavita Clinic, Prince Clinic, and Shreyan Clinic—in Pandesara. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-4) Vijaysinh Gurjar stated, “Upon investigating these doctors’ credentials, we discovered they obtained BEMS degrees from Dr. Rasesh Gujarati. These degrees were issued by a nonexistent ‘Board of Electro Homeopathic Medicine’ based in Ahmedabad.” A raid at Gujarati’s home in Rander resulted in the seizure of several incriminating documents.
