Mumbai: A 42-year-old rickshaw driver from Chembur died allegedly after being administered medicines and an injection by a quack doctor, who was later found to have no medical qualifications. The Chunabhatti police have registered a case following a complaint by the victim’s wife.According to the FIR, the deceased, Nantun Jha, had undergone a molar extraction at the Lions Club Charitable Trust Hospital, Chembur, on December 7, 2024. He continued working that day but experienced severe swelling and pain the following afternoon. As the charitable hospital was closed on Sunday, his family took him to Om Clinic in Sumannagar, Chembur, where a man identifying himself as Dr. Rameshchandra Bansilal Vishwakarma offered treatment.Vishwakarma reportedly examined Jha and gave him an injection near the waist along with tablets, charging Rs 400 for the treatment. Soon after returning home, Jha developed breathing difficulties. His family rushed him back to the clinic, but Vishwakarma allegedly asked them to take him elsewhere. Jha was then shifted to Sion Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.Suspicious about the treatment, the family later approached the BMC. An inquiry by the Medical Health Officer, M-West Ward, revealed that Vishwakarma held no medical degree or qualifications and was a bogus doctor.The FIR states that Vishwakarma, by pretending to be a qualified doctor, administered unauthorized medical treatment that led to Jha’s death, thereby cheating the family and endangering lives.Chunabhatti police have booked Vishwakarma under relevant sections of the IPC for cheating, impersonation, and causing death by negligence, as well as applicable provisions of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act.The victim’s wife, Sharmiladevi Jha, who lodged the complaint, said her husband was the family’s sole breadwinner and that his sudden death has left them devastated. She has demanded strict action against the accused to prevent such tragedies in the future.
