Bhopal: In a bizarre case that blends deception, medical malpractice, and systemic lapses, Madhya Pradesh police arrested a man posing as a foreign-trained cardiologist for allegedly forging his medical credentials and treating patients without a valid license.
The man, who identified himself as Dr. N John Camm, claimed to be an interventionist cardiologist from Klinikum Nuremberg Hospital in Germany and a Member of the Royal College of Physicians, UK. He was, in reality, Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, a fraudster using the stolen identity of Professor John Camm, a renowned cardiologist from the United Kingdom.
Exposed, Yet Employed
The fraud first came under the spotlight in July 2023, when fact-checkers at BOOM found the Twitter account @njohncamm impersonating the real Professor Camm. The British doctor later confirmed via email that the account was falsely using his identity.
On June 30, 2023, the Twitter handle @njohncamm claiming to be Professor N John Camm had tweeted, "India must send @myogiadityanath to France to control the riot situation there and My God, he will do it within 24 hours." The tweet went viral among Indian right-wing users and was quote-tweeted by the verified handle of the UP Chief Minister's office.
Despite being exposed, Yadav managed to infiltrate the Indian healthcare system and secure a job as a cardiologist at Mission Hospital in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, through a Bhopal-based staffing agency registered under the state government.
Allegations Of Death And Malpractice
The case gained urgency when Deepak Tiwari, president of Damoh's District Child Welfare Committee, complained to the district administration, alleging that the fake doctor had performed angiography or angioplasty on at least seven patients who died.
“He prescribed expensive medicines to patients coming to Mission Hospital to avail benefits from Ayushman Bharat,” the complaint stated.
Priyank Kanoongo, Member National Human Rights Commission and former chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, further amplified the claim, demanding a probe.
Despite the allegations of death, Damoh Superintendent of Police Shrut Kirti Somavanshi clarified: “We came across three patients to whom he had treated so far. A team of expert doctors are investigating the issue.”
While media reports referenced a death toll, the police said that none of the victims had lodged any formal complaints yet.
The doctor has been arrested under sections 318 (4) for cheating, 338 for forgery of important documents, 336 (3) for forgery with intent to deceive, 340 (2) for use of forged documents and 3(5) of Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). A case under section 24 of Madhya Pradesh Ayurvedic Adhiniyam has also been imposed.
Damoh police lodged the FIR against him on April 7, based on the findings of a probe report undertaken by three government doctors led by Dr. N.K Jain Damoh’s Chief Medical Health Officer.
The FIR stated, “A team of three doctors investigated the issue of Dr. Narendra John Camm on direction of district collector’s letter. The team investigated that Narendra conducted Angiography and Angioplasty on a few patients but some didn’t survive.” It further stated, “The Hospital administration told the probe team that Dr. Narendra has quit the job and handed over his degrees and medical license in possession, that turned out to be fake.”
No Medical License
An inquiry by Chief Medical Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. MK Jain uncovered that the man known as Dr. N John Camm lacked a valid registration number from the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council, which is mandatory to practise in the state.
Though Yadav claimed registration under the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council, no records were found for the provided number (153427) on the council's website.
“Prima facie it appears to be a fraudulent registration number,” Dr. Jain concluded. “No doctor can practise in Madhya Pradesh without being registered with MP Medical Council and no records were submitted by the hospital to establish that Dr. N John Camm was registered.”
On February 13, just six weeks after joining, Yadav fled the Mission Hospital with an ECG machine worth over Rs 5 lakh. Hospital officials told BOOM that a complaint for theft was then lodged at Damoh Kotwali Police Station.
“We provided all the documents we had to help in the investigation,” a hospital spokesperson said.
But, how did a fake doctor get hired in the first place?
According to Pushpa Khare, Human Resource head at Mission Hospital, Yadav was recruited via Integrated Workforce Unique Solution Manpower Pvt. Ltd, a Bhopal-based private agency registered with the MP government.
“As per the agreement, 50% of the salary given to Dr. N John Camm would be paid to the agency, and it would be the agency’s responsibility to ensure the authenticity of the documents of the doctor,” Khare explained.
When Yadav disappeared, the hospital filed a separate six-page complaint at MP Nagar police station against the agency, accusing it of failing to verify the doctor’s credentials and for breaching contract terms. “It was the agency's responsibility to provide a replacement cardiologist if Dr. Camm left,” said a hospital official.
The district administration has roped in Jabalpur Medical College to review cases treated by Yadav and look into possible medical negligence. The team is meeting with all the patients treated by Dr. John to access their complications to ascertain the truth. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated, “A joint team of Centre and State has been investigating the issue and further action will be taken if proven guilty.”
Have There Been Any Deaths?
While Priyank Kanoongo claimed that there have been seven deaths caused by the fake doctor, so far, neither the hospital nor the police have confirmed any deaths.
BOOM reached out to two people whose aged parents died, allegedly because of fake Dr. John Camm's negligence.
A 35-year-old Nabil Qurashi from Damoh alleged that on January 14 when his 63-year-old mother Raisa Bee was facing a problem in breathing, he took her to Damoh Government hospital. “Government hospital referred us to Mission Hospital, where Dr. John (accused Narendra Yadav) suggested angiography asking to pay Rs 50,000 in advance,” said Nabil Qurashi.
Angiography is an X-ray imaging technique that uses a special dye to examine blood vessels. It can help diagnose and treat blood vessel problems.
“When another doctor suggested the same treatment, we went back to Mission Hospital where the doctor conducted an Angiography test and suggested Angioplasty on January 15. But she didn’t survive the operation,” Nabil said.
Angioplasty, also known as balloon angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to widen narrowed or blocked arteries by using a balloon-tipped catheter to expand the artery.
Nabil said that a team of doctors met him and inquired all the details of his mother’s death. He, however, hasn't filed any formal complaint to the police.
Like Nabil, Jitendra Rajput, who hails from Damoh’s Patera block, alleged that the doctor diagnosed his 64-year-old father Mangal Singh Rajput in January when he brought him to the hospital after he complained of breathing problems. “After the initial diagnosis, the hospital asked to conduct Angiography and Angioplasty. But he couldn’t survive,” Rajput said over the call.
Mission Hospital is operated by Dr. Ajay Lal, who also ran a Bal Bhawan in Damoh which was under the scanner of National Human Rights Commission, when Priyank Kanoongo was its chairman, with allegations of tribal children being forced to convert to Christianity.
Lal was booked for human trafficking and religious conversion but was given bail by the MP High Court.