E-Paper
Senior couple conned of ₹50 lakh in medical treatment scam
Three individuals, including an impersonator doctor, have been accused of duping a senior citizen couple out of ₹50 lakh by posing as medical practitioners. The trio exploited the couple under the guise of providing treatment for the husband's mobility issues. Legal proceedings have been initiated against them.
MUMBAI: The Kasturba Marg police on Sunday have initiated legal proceedings against three individuals accused of duping a senior citizen couple out of ₹50 lakh by posing as medical practitioners. The trio, including one impersonating a doctor, exploited the couple under the guise of providing treatment for the husband’s mobility issues.
The complainant, a 63-year-old woman, revealed that her 65-year-old husband had been undergoing cancer treatment since 2011, facing additional challenges following an epilepsy stroke in 2015, which resulted in vision loss and impaired mobility. Last month, the couple met an individual, Rahul Bajaj, during a trip to Pune, who claimed that his bedridden mother had been cured by a doctor based in Ahmedabad. Rahul introduced two others to the couple, setting up the fraudulent scheme.
The trio, including the doctor, identified as Dr N Patel, engaged in dubious treatment practices. On November 10, the “doctor” sent his assistant who introduced himself as Imran to the residence of the complainant. Their “treatment” involved drawing lines on the patient’s limbs, making blade markings on these lines, and using a metal cube in the process.
“The patient spat out a yellow substance afterward, which the doctor claimed was pitta. This continued for at least an hour after which the doctor left. His assistant stayed back for some time and left after the complainant made the payment to him,” said the officer.
The complainant made multiple transfers together amounting to ₹50 lakh to the accounts specified by Imran. Despite promises of medicine and subsequent follow-up, the trio vanished, leaving the patient’s condition deteriorating. Efforts to contact them regarding the worsening health proved futile, as they evaded inquiries and eventually stopped responding to calls.
Acting on the complainant’s account, the Kasturba Marg police have filed charges under section 420 (cheating and dishonesty) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant sections of the Medical Practitioners Act.
