MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a 50-year-old man on Sunday for allegedly impersonating a doctor for the last 28 years, running medical camps, treating patients and developing contacts in Bollywood among celebrities. The arrest was shown after the suspect, “Dr Dharmendra Kumar”, was called for inquiry by DCP (Crime) Raj Tilak Roushan in his crime detection chamber, where his alleged role in illegal financial activities came to light.The impersonation came to notice after the Mumbai Crime Branch busted a racket involved in various fraudulent activities. One of those earlier arrested was identified as Mohammad Gaus Ibrahim Khatib (52), a conman who went by the alias “Dr Raj Khatib”, for masquerading as a fake Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). “Kumar also visited Dr Khatib’s medical camps and also celebrities are called in the camp,” said the officer.Mumbai Crime Branch DCP Raj Tilak Roshan said multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against the racket. “In pursuance of the received information, upon finding names of people and companies from Maharashtra and other states, project reports, etc., in the Flat owned Kumar, it has been revealed in the preliminary investigation that the scope of this crime extends to more than one state. “It has also been revealed that an embezzlement of approximately Rs10 crore rupees has occurred over the last three years,” said DCP Roushan.He said an identity card mentioning “Dr. Dharmendra Kumar”, a PAN card, visiting card, certificates issued by various organisations, medical treatment literature and other items were recovered from the suspect.Police said the operation was carried out by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, additional commissioner of Police (Crime) Krishna Kant Upadhyay, DCP Raj Tilak Roushan, ACP Dinkar Shilwat, Senior Inspectors Arvind Patil and Salman khan Pathan, and staff. They found Kumar allegedly impersonating a doctor, creating fake identity documents, opening bank accounts in various banks and, in collusion with other arrested associates, embezzling some amount through CSR funds over the last three years.Kumar’s arrest was carried out based on information received from the earlier arrested accused Khatib, along with a Jaipur businessman and an impostor who impersonated an IPS officer, in a fresh case of cheating. The case was registered after a Gujarat businessman lodged a complaint alleging the accused cheated him of Rs 16 lakh by posing as a DCP and promising to recover money allegedly owed to him from a builder.The Crime Branch last month arrested Khatib, his son Mashab Khatib and Shahid Kapadia, red-handed from a three-star hotel while trying to cheat a person seeking a loan. On Friday, it arrested Rajasthan businessman Rajesh Bedsingh Choudhary, 46, and Mohammed Khatib, who was already in custody in connection with a similar cheating case.The fresh complaint was filed by Sikander Kothari, who runs an OTT platform. He alleged he first met Rajesh Chaudhary and Naveen Sharma at Marine Drive in 2024, and they introduced Khatib as a serving DCP in the Mumbai Police. Investigators said Khatib reinforced the deception by showing photographs of himself in a police uniform bearing stars and insignia, and claimed he could recover the complainant’s investment from builder Kamal Sadhwani through his influence in the police force. Kothari alleged he paid Rs 98 lakh to Jadhwani and booked a flat, but he neither got the flat nor his money back.
