Ulhasnagar woman duped of 31 lakh in kidney transplant scam; doctor among 7 booked

Ulhasnagar: In a case of alleged medical fraud, a 32-year -old woman from Ulhasnagar was cheated of over Rs 31 lakh by a group of seven, including her family doctor, on the pretext of arranging a kidney transplant for her ailing husband, police said.The complainant, Dipali Chavan, a resident of Chinchpada area, had already donated one of her kidneys to her husband Anand Chavan after he suffered kidney failure. However, complications and infection following the transplant left him battling for life again.According to the police, instead of providing medical support, the family doctor, identified as Gaurav Dharma Nair, allegedly exploited the family's distress by promising to arrange another donor and facilitating a transplant.He reportedly introduced the couple to a group of people, which included Iqbal Khan, Mosami Biswas and Jaydev Biswas.Between July 2, 2025, and March 7, 2026, the accused allegedly collected Rs 31.67 lakh from the victim through cash and online payments, claiming it was required for arranging a donor and conducting the surgery. Despite the payments, neither was a donor arranged nor was any transplant carried out.Realising she had been cheated, Chavan approached the Vitthalwadi police. Senior police inspector Ashok Koli said a case of cheating has been registered against seven persons, including the doctor, and further investigation is underway.Deputy commissioner of police Sachin Gore said that an offence has been registered based on the complaint and appropriate action will be taken against the accused following the probe. Police suspect the involvement of a larger kidney racket and are examining whether more victims were similarly duped.Meanwhile, the accused doctor, speaking to the media, denied direct involvement in the alleged fraud. He claimed that Chavan was his patient and that he had only introduced her to Iqbal Khan, who had assured assistance in arranging a kidney donor. The doctor alleged that when the promised transplant did not materialise despite payments, he himself advised the victim to approach the police, adding that he has been named as an accused since he facilitated the introduction.Police are now probing financial transactions and possible interstate links, with leads reportedly extending to Odisha.
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