NEW DELHI: A 48-year-old woman who posed as a doctor for years and had been on the run for over nine years after a patient died following a botched surgery at her clinic was arrested by Delhi Police’s Crime Branch, officials said on Wednesday.
The woman, a resident of Sangam Vihar, was arrested from Greater Kailash-II, where she was working as a caretaker for a senior citizen. Police said she had forged a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree from Bihar and opened a clinic in Vikas Nagar, Ranhola, in 2008 — despite having studied only up to Class 12.
According to police, she primarily treated gynaecology patients. In 2009, a man named Ramesh Kumar admitted his pregnant wife to her clinic after she complained of abdominal pain. The woman was allegedly given medication and discharged, but her condition worsened the next day, prompting another admission and a surgery on the accused’s recommendation.
The woman was again discharged after the operation, but her health continued to deteriorate, and she was rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital, where she died.
Police said an investigation revealed the accused had no legitimate medical degree. She was initially arrested and later released on bail but went missing in 2016 after skipping court appearances, leading to her being declared a proclaimed offender.
“During questioning, she confessed to learning basic treatment while assisting a doctor in Uttam Nagar in 2005-06. She later arranged a forged degree and opened her clinic,” said DCP (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam. He added that she kept changing locations to avoid arrest.
She was finally tracked down by a Crime Branch team and taken into custody.
