Delhi Horror: 2 doctors arrested as police bust illegal surgical racket that lead to numerous deaths

New Delhi: Busting an illegal surgical racket in the posh south Delhi’s Greater Kailash area, two doctors and two individuals pretending to be doctors have been arrested at the Agarwal Medical Centre on Tuesday. The Delhi police took action against them for allegedly conducting surgeries without the required qualifications and permissions. It is reported that two patients have died at the clinic due to these unauthorized procedures this year.

According to the police, the three doctors operated the Agarwal Medical Centre and former laboratory technician Mahender Singh impersonated as a doctor. The arrests are alleged to have been based on sufficient evidence of planned surgeries by unqualified individuals. 

Following this, the Indian Medical Association has received a letter from the police requesting the cancellation of Agarwal Medical Centre's license, TOI reports.

As per IANS sources, several post-operative deaths were allegedly reported from the hospital. Police said the accused were arrested following complaints received in October.

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The attendants of the two patients had alleged that Agarwal and three others were involved in performing surgeries on the vital organs of various patients, without following proper medical procedures.

According to the complainants, Agarwal was a physician but performed surgeries as he possessed fake documents.

On October 10, a woman from Sangam Vihar filed a complaint at the Greater Kailash police station, alleging that on September 19, she took her husband, Asgar Ali to the Agarwal Medical Centre for the removal of his gallbladder stone.

Before the commencement of the surgery, Agarwal said it would be performed by a famous surgeon Jaspreet Singh. But before the surgery, he said Singh could not turn up due to some urgency and Dr Mahender Singh would perform it.

The complainant stated that her husband's surgery was performed by Dr Mahender Singh, Dr Neeraj Agarwal and Dr Pooja Agarwal. When the patient was brought out of the operation theatre, he complained of severe pain and was rushed to the Safdarjung Hospital where he was declared "brought dead".

"Later, it was discovered that Dr. Mahender Singh and Dr. Pooja were fake doctors," the complainant said.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Chandan Chowdhary, 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.

Accordingly, an FIR was registered with Greater Kailash-1 Police Station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

During the investigation, a version of the complainant was investigated and it was revealed that Dr Jaspreet Singh Bajwa was not present at the time of surgery of the deceased Asgar Ali.

"Further, it was also revealed that Dr Jaspreet Singh had prepared fake documents regarding the surgery of the deceased. During the further course of the investigation, it was also revealed that approximately seven complaints were filed to the Delhi Medical Council against Agrawal Medical Centre, and Dr Neeraj Agrawal and his wife Puja Agrawal from 2016 to date by different complainants, wherein the patient lost their life due to negligence," the police said.

"The autopsy report of deceased Asgar Ali indicated the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock due to complications from laparoscopic cholecystectomy," said the DCP. 

In another case, a man named Basoya rushed his brother to Agarwal Medical Centre on October 26. “We decided to take my brother there as it’s cheaper than other facilities. They charged ₹20,000 for the gall bladder surgery, while others were asking for ₹80,000... I didn’t know that they were charging us less because they are not even doctors,” Basoya told HT. However, his brother died mid-surgery, allegedly due to a cardiac arrest.

“When I went inside the operation theatre, I saw my brother, dead on a stretcher, still in the clothes he wore from home. The doctors too were not in scrubs. The operation theatre was tiny and dirty, and there was no ventilator,” wrote Basoya, 46, in his complaint to the Delhi Police dated October 28.

On September 9, 2022, the family of 27-year-old Kiran Devi, a resident of Mahipalpur, alleged that due to medical negligence during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (surgery for removal of gallbladder stones), she died. “The family then alleged that the doctors did not follow due procedure,” said Chowdhary.

“We were following up with agencies for a forensic report of the viscera of Ali and other exhibits which were received on November 4 this year. After receiving Basoya’s complaint last month, a medical board was constituted to examine the alleged medical centre and several shortcomings were observed including standards of hygiene. The background of these doctors was then examined and finally, after sufficient evidence, arrests were made “ Chowdhary said.

"On November 1, a medical board consisting of four doctors was called to examine the medical centre and a lot of shortcomings and deficiencies were observed," the DCP said, adding that during an investigation, it was revealed that Agarwal used to prepare fake documents about the treatment and surgery of patients frequently.

According to a PTI news report, police said they have seized 414 prescription slips containing only the 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, several banned medicines and injections that were not supposed to be stored except in hospitals.

Police also said they have seized expired surgical blades, original prescription slips of different patients, chequebooks of 47 different banks, 54 ATM cards of different banks, passbooks of different post offices and six POS terminal credit card machines from Agarwal's residence and clinic.

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