A 27-year-old man was taken into custody in Panvel’s Kasalkhand village after health officials and police allegedly found him running a clinic and treating patients without holding a medical degree, according to a report by Loksatta – Navi Mumbai published on September 8.
The action followed complaints from villagers who became suspicious about the man’s claimed qualifications and informed medical officials at the Aajivali primary health centre. The health department subsequently coordinated with the Panvel taluka police to inspect the clinic.
The inspection was conducted at about 2.15 pm on Monday at the clinic in Kasalkhand. Officials identified the man as Nurul Huda Imamul Haq, 27. According to the report, the inspection found that he did not possess the medical qualification required to practise as a doctor. Officials also found a stock of medicines at the premises.
The health department’s medical officers reportedly found that Haq had been treating patients despite not having a recognised medical degree. Police have registered a case against him at the Panvel taluka police station under Sections 33(1) and 33(2) of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961.
The case began after residents raised questions about the man’s medical education and credentials. He had started operating the clinic around one and a half months before the inspection, according to the report. The incident highlights the role of local residents and primary healthcare officials in identifying suspected unauthorised medical practice in villages within the rapidly urbanising Panvel region.
Police said their preliminary inquiry also indicated that Haq would visit patients at their homes when called. Investigators are examining how many people he may have treated previously and the source of the medicines found at the clinic.
Haq is reported to be living in a Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority building in the Indiabulls society at Kon and to be originally from West Bengal. The police investigation is continuing, with the authorities examining his earlier activities, patient contacts and medicine supply arrangements.
