Gujarat Fake Doctors Racket Busted: 8 Held After Dummy Patients Expose Illegal Clinics in Surat

Authorities in Gujarat have arrested eight individuals for practicing medicine and operating illegal clinics without valid medical degrees or registrations. A joint raid conducted by the Surat Police Special Operations Group (SOG) and the local health department targeted unauthorized healthcare setups in the Pandesara area, uncovering a racket where individuals-some qualified only up to Class 12-were treating patients, prescribing medications, and conducting clinical procedures.

To expose the racket, enforcement teams deployed dummy patients into suspect clinics across Pandesara. Once the unauthorized practitioners attempted to diagnose the decoy patients and prescribe drugs, law enforcement intervened, arresting eight suspects on the spot. Authorities seized medical equipment, prescription pads, and large stockpiles of illegal drugs, including allopathic medicines, injections, and syrups. Fake Doctor Arrested in Gujarat; 31 Medicine Brands Confiscated in Police Raid.

Investigations revealed that none of the arrested individuals possessed a recognized medical qualification, such as an MBBS or BAMS degree, nor were they registered with any medical council. Some of the accused had previously worked as clinic attendants or compounders, leveraging that basic experience to open their own illegal establishments. Certain clinics had reportedly been operating undetected in densely populated residential areas for years, catering primarily to low-income migrant workers.

The issue of quackery remains a persistent public health challenge across several industrial regions in India. Unqualified practitioners often capitalize on high healthcare costs and long wait times at formal institutions, exposing vulnerable patients to severe health risks, including incorrect diagnoses, improper drug administration, and adverse drug reactions. Bengaluru Fake Drug Racket: 6-member SIT Formed; UT Khader Writes to JP Nadda.

Surat authorities confirmed that all eight suspects face multiple charges under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Gujarat Medical Practitioners Act. Officials emphasized that crackdown operations will continue, urging the public to verify the credentials and registration details of medical practitioners before seeking treatment.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2026 07:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).