A massive healthcare scandal has erupted in Haryana after a general physician allegedly impersonated a cardiologist and carried out close to 50 heart procedures at a public-private hospital in Faridabad without any formal qualifications in cardiology.
The doctor, employed at the heart care centre inside Badshah Khan Civil Hospital, is under investigation for allegedly forging credentials, deceiving patients, and conducting invasive surgeries he wasn’t licensed for.
The case surfaced in April when Sanjay Gupta, a lawyer and activist, filed a complaint exposing the alleged fraud. The doctor, according to the complaint, had used fake degrees and assumed titles like “MD” and “DNB (Cardiology)” on prescriptions and medical stamps.
Police have confirmed that his registration with the National Medical Commission only qualifies him as a general physician. “He has no recognised cardiology credentials. We’ve sought full documentation from the Chief Medical Officer and hospital management. An FIR will follow once that is received,” said a police spokesperson.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has launched a parallel probe and seized equipment from the heart care facility.
Patients began raising red flags earlier this year after reporting post-operative complications. In February, the accused disappeared from duty after being asked to furnish his qualifications.
Shortly thereafter, the state health department shut the heart care centre, which had already been flagged for violating medical norms and had lost government funding.
The Indian Medical Association was also alerted in January by a genuine cardiologist whose name and credentials the accused allegedly misused. Police say the impersonator was served a legal notice.
Hospital staff told investigators the man was hired as a general physician and later terminated after ignoring multiple show-cause notices.
The case has sent shockwaves through the medical community, drawing comparisons to a recent scam in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, where another fake cardiologist reportedly caused multiple patient deaths over years of deception.
“This is a serious breach of public trust,” a senior Faridabad police officer said. “The scale and nature of the surgeries involved make this an extremely grave matter.”
