Dahisar Lions Club head held for being fake doctor
Acting on a complaint lodged by officers from medical department of the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC), Kashimira police on Saturday arrested Sunita Pravin Chajjed for practising medicine from her Mira Road residence for the past few months.
Acting on a complaint lodged by officers from medical department of the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC), Kashimira police on Saturday arrested Sunita Pravin Chajjed for practising medicine from her Mira Road residence for the past few months.
Prima facie investigation revealed that Chajjed only holds a diploma in pharmacy and is the president of Lions Club of Dahisar. She would regularly participate in medical camps organised by the club.
A senior medical officer said that besides holding a diploma in pharmacy, Chajjed has also undertaken a certificate course in electropathy. However, the course lacks recognition from the University of Mumbai.
Quack nailed
Acting on a tip-off it received on Friday, the MBMC officers sent a dummy patient to Chajjed’s home-cum-clinic at Kalpataru Shrusti Complex in Mira Road on Saturday.
The decoy told her that she was suffering from an allergy, for which Chajjed suggested urine test and sonography. She also gave her medicines. But when the patient insisted on a prescription for future use, Chajjed wrote the names on a piece of paper before handing it over to the decoy and charged Rs400 as consultation fee.
The decoy then gave the so-called prescription chit to the MBMC officers waiting outside, who later approached the Kashimira police and lodged a complaint against Chajjed. Based on their complaint, cops booked Chajjed under Section 33 of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961.
Inspector Rajendra Kamble from Kashimira police station said, “She was produced in the Thane court on Sunday, which remanded her in police custody for two days. Currently, we are examining all her medical documents.”
‘Totally shocked’
Expressing bewilderment, Lion Prashant Patil, district governor, said all the officials were shocked upon hearing about Chajjed’s arrest.
“I tried contacting her husband, but he is unreachable. We are cooperating with the police, and she’ll lose her membership if proven guilty in the court of law. Also, a decision about her presidency will be taken if she fails to attend meetings in the next three months, following which the vice-president will take charge. We’ll consult our counterparts at the International Lions Club organisation before taking the final decision. There are 108 Lions Clubs across India, with 2.5 lakh members. The worldwide strength is 14 lakh, and the members are from various professions,” said Patil.