Delhi ‘surgery scam’: Police probing likely involvement of another doctor

PTI, Nov 17, 2023, 10:16 AM IST

The Delhi Police is looking into the possible involvement of another doctor, from Faridabad, in a ”surgery scam” at a clinic in Greater Kailash, sources have said.

Two doctors and as many fake doctors were arrested on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the surgeries of two patients who died in the clinic.

On Thursday, the arrested accused — Neeraj Agarwal, who runs the Agarwal Medical Centre, Jaspreet Singh (both MBBS doctors), Agarwal’s wife Pooja and former laboratory technician Mahender Singh — were again produced in a court, which sent them to five-day police custody.

Police sources Thursday said that during the course of investigation into the matter, it emerged that the name of another doctor from Faridabad was also used in the conduct of multiple surgeries at the clinic.

”We may book the doctor from Faridabad too if he is found to be involved in the racket,” a police officer said, adding they are also investigating the possible role of a few other persons who were in touch with the accused.

The surgeries were mostly for gallbladder stone removal or caesarean deliveries.

The police had said Agarwal would take the help of non-qualified people, including his wife and former laboratory technician Mahender Singh, while performing surgeries and Jaspreet Singh would make fake surgery notes.

During searches at Agarwal’s residence and clinic, police said, they have seized 414 prescription slips containing only signatures of doctors after leaving considerable space at the top, two registers containing details of the patients whose medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) was conducted at the clinic, and several banned medicines and injections.

A probe revealed that seven complaints were submitted to the Delhi Medical Council against Agarwal Medical Centre, Neeraj and Pooja Agarwal since 2016. In all the cases, patients had died due to alleged negligence, the police said.

The accused were arrested following complaints received in October.

The police have also written to the Medical Council to cancel the licence of Agarwal Medical Centre. Police sources said they may further add sections related to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act in the case.