Pune: A case has been registered at the Kondhwa police station against a quack for using the title “doctor” on social media and conducting chiropractic courses, officials said.The complaint, filed on July 27 under Sections 33(1) and 33(2) of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961, follows a citywide review by the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) search and action committee.The municipal corporation has registered cases against 56 bogus doctors in the city over the period from 2013 to 2024. A review of these actions was conducted during the 22nd meeting of the committee, held on Wednesday, July 29, under the chairmanship of municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram.Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer, Pune Municipal Corporation, said, “Citizens should verify the educational qualifications and statutory registrations of doctors before undergoing medical treatment or consulting with them. If information regarding individuals practicing illegally is received, it should be reported to the respective zonal office or the municipal corporation’s health department. The police administration and the municipal corporation will continue this coordinated drive to curb the practice of bogus medicine.”As part of the crackdown, the case at Kondhwa police station was initiated because the individual had been using the title ‘doctor’ on social media and was conducting unauthorised courses in chiropractic treatment. Following an investigation and a formal opinion from the legal department, the case was registered on Monday, July 27. The Kondhwa police are conducting further investigations into the matter, according to civic officials.The review meeting was organised to safeguard the health of city residents and eliminate bogus medical practices. Attendees included the municipal corporation’s health officer, chief legal officer, assistant health officer, and representatives from the police department. During the session, the commissioner directed the health and legal departments to update information regarding the status of all registered cases and to verify whether medical practices had illegally resumed at any of the concerned locations.An individual is classified as a ‘bogus doctor’ if they provide medical treatment or perform surgeries without holding recognized qualifications—such as MBBS, BAMS, BUMS, BHMS, or BDS degrees, or postgraduate degrees like MD or MS—registered with an authorised medical council.The municipal corporation clarified that strict legal action will continue to be taken against such individuals under the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act.
