Quack-couple runs clinics across Hyderabad city; arrested

Hyderabad: A couple was arrested here on Tuesday for posing as doctors with fake degrees and operating health clinics across the city, police said.

The accused were identified as Giridhar Lal Srivastava, alias Dr Giridhar S., 58, and his wife Sulekha Rani Srivastava, 48.

Medical examination equipment, four counterfeit rubber stamps, a fake certificate from the cardiology department of John Hopkins University (US), fake MBBS certificates, fake prescription letters from Sanjivani clinic, Barkatpura and 20 display boards were seized from them.

The arrests were carried out by the Malkajgiri special operation team, along with Medipally police.

Gridhar Lal, during his interrogation, said he had a B.E.M.S degree (homoeopathy) from Jalgaon Pune in Maharashtra (1992). However, that claim was yet to be verified by the police.

Gridhar Lal said he had worked as an assistant to several doctors, following which he hatched the plan to earn money by claiming to be a doctor.

Gridhar Lal opened many clinics in Hyderabad from 1994 to the present.

Armed with dubious documents, he worked as a B.E.M.S doctor at M.S Maqta, Khairatabad and Manikeshwar Nagar. He worked as an assistant to the duty doctor at Care Hospital, Nampally, Karthik Clinic at Kachiguda and Sanjivani Clinic, said deputy commissioner of police, Malkajgiri zone, Janaki Dharavath.

Gardhari Lal also worked as an assistant to professor to Dr Siraj, Deccan College of Medical Science at DMLR Crossroads Santosh Nagar, and assistant to professor Dr. Shiva Rama Krishna in Shadan College of Medical Science at Langar House.

For a few years he was participating in free health camps organised by Sri Sathya Sai Trust on Shivam Road.

His wife Sulekha Rani, a co-accused, said she discontinued her B.Sc degree (botany, zoology, chemistry) at Bhavans New Science College in 1996.
She got married to Giridhar Lal in 1997.

As per her husband's plan she started working as a ‘fake doctor’ from 2002. She worked at Balaji Clinic as MBBS in obstetrics and gynaecology. She also worked as a medical consultant at Shirdi Sai Trust, Shivam Road.

She was also associated with 'Help Hyderabad Organisation’ as a medical consultant.

Both husband and wife were running Sri Venkateshwara Sai Clinic in Rekha Pharma Medical store at west Balaji Hills, Boduppal, SVS Clinic in Padmavathi Colony in Uppal, and Akshaya KBR Polyclinic at Shalibanda Cross Road by displaying boards which claimed they were qualified MBBS & MD doctors.

The accused were booked under sections 417, 420, 465 and 468 of the Indian Penal Code and section 15(3) of Indian Medical Council ACT, 1956.