Indian police have arrested a man accused of impersonating a renowned London-based cardiologist, following an investigation into the deaths of seven patients at a private hospital.
The suspect, who had been practicing at Mission Hospital in Madhya Pradesh, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with cheating and forgery, according to police superintendent Shrutkirti Somvanshi.
“His credentials were found to be fake… Our team has arrested the individual posing as a doctor,” Somvanshi told reporters.
The man, who identified himself as “Narendra John Camm”—a name that appeared on the hospital’s website—was reportedly using the identity of Professor John Camm, an emeritus professor of clinical cardiology at St George’s University of London.
A mugshot published in local outlets showed the suspect with bleached yellow hair.
The arrest follows a probe launched by the National Human Rights Commission after seven patients who had undergone angioplasty procedures at the hospital died under the care of the accused.
There is no indication of any wrongdoing by the real Dr. John Camm, who expressed concern over the situation.
“This has been very disconcerting,” Camm told AFP. “He has claimed at various times to either be me or to have been trained by me at St George’s Hospital in London.”
Camm noted that he and his colleagues had tried to expose the impersonator for years. “My younger colleagues, more active on social media, worked to alert the public. Indian physicians quickly realized this man was a fraud and tried to shut him down.”
He said he had believed the situation had quieted down until the recent news of the arrest. “It’s upsetting for me and likely far more so for the families of the patients affected,” he added.
The scandal was brought to light after the family of one of the deceased patients spoke out.
“As soon as my mother passed away, the doctor disappeared,” her son, Nabi Qureshi, told NDTV.
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla pledged strict action against the accused if found guilty.
India has seen repeated incidents of individuals posing as medical professionals, particularly in underserved rural areas. Authorities have stepped up efforts in recent years to crack down on such fraud, including raids on unlicensed clinics and arrests of fake practitioners.