Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a bizarre case of medical fraud, a trader and his wife were allegedly duped of Rs 91,000 by men posing as medical professionals who promised to cure the woman's cracked hands and heels. One suspect approached the couple on the road, while another visited their home the following day posing as a specialist doctor from Ahmedabad.
The incident occurred in the LIG police station area. According to the couple's son, his 67-year-old father, a grocery trader, was travelling with his 64-year-old wife on a two-wheeler when a motorcycle-borne youth stopped them.
Noticing the woman's hands, which were affected by psoriasis, the youth claimed that a doctor from Ahmedabad had cured a similar condition in his family. He quoted a consultation fee of Rs 1,000 and convinced the couple to seek treatment.
Scared woman with cancer warning
The following day, two men wearing masks and gloves arrived at their home. One introduced himself as a doctor from Ahmedabad. After gathering information about the family's business and financial condition, he examined the woman's hands and warned that she could develop cancer if the condition remained untreated.
He allegedly made a small incision on her hand, extracted blood using a suction device and applied a cream that turned it white. Claiming the substance was pus, he demanded Rs 6,000 per drip. The couple expected one or two drips, but the suspect claimed to have extracted 14 and collected Rs 91,000, including travel charges. The treatment brought no improvement.
Arrived in rented car, phones switched off
The son later discovered that the suspects had arrived in a rented car. Their contact numbers were switched off, while the youth who initially approached the couple could not be traced. He also claimed that the suspects spoke Marathi among themselves despite introducing themselves as Gujaratis. The family suspects a larger fraud racket and is preparing to lodge a complaint with MIG police.
