Gujarat's Surat City Special Operations Group (SOG), acting in coordination with the Surat District Health Department, arrested 16 alleged fake doctors running unregistered clinics in the Pandesara area of Surat on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, and seized medicines, injections, syrups, and medical equipment collectively valued at ₹1,82,444. The crackdown came on the direct instructions of Police Commissioner Wabang Jamir, who had ordered citywide raids on clinics allegedly run by individuals without recognised medical qualifications or on the basis of forged degrees.

How the Operation Unfolded

Acting under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajdeepsinh Nakum, SOG teams led by Inspector A.S. Sonara received specific intelligence about clinics operating in Pandesara and deployed dummy patients to verify the allegations. Once the information was confirmed, the SOG coordinated with Chief District Health Officer Dr Anil Patel of the Surat District Panchayat to launch simultaneous raids across the locality. Joint teams comprising health officials and SOG personnel conducted the operation.

Who Was Arrested and What They Were Running

The 16 individuals, aged between 23 and 58, were allegedly operating clinics under names including Bharat Clinic, Sai Dham Clinic, Neer Clinic, Narayan Clinic, Surendra Clinic, Bhakta Radha Clinic, Sai Clinic, Probir Clinic, Navdeep Clinic, Pratima Clinic, Free Sevasadan, Shri Krishna Clinic, and Gurukrupa Clinic. Their educational backgrounds ranged from Class 10 and Class 12 to bachelor's degrees such as BSc and BA — none of which constitute a recognised medical qualification. Several had previously worked as compounders or helpers at hospitals and nursing homes before setting up independent practices.

Officials stated that some of these individuals examined between five and 35 patients daily, with reported daily earnings ranging from ₹700 to ₹40,000. The highest earner was identified as Kapilkumar Verma, 58, the alleged operator of Free Sevasadan, who reportedly studied only up to Class 10 and claimed to have learned medical practice from books. According to the police, he had been running clinics at different locations for 33 years.

Repeat Offenders Among the Accused

The SOG noted that at least three of the arrested individuals had prior police records in the same district. A case against Shiyaram Morya, 54, was registered at Pandesara police station as far back as 2002; a case involving Vinodbhai Biswas Chansi, 58, was registered in 2008; and a separate case had previously been filed against Saddam Bankhan, 31, by the SOG at the same station. The recurrence points to a systemic failure in monitoring and follow-up enforcement after earlier registrations.

Patient Safety Concerns and What Comes Next

According to police, concerns had been raised about patients' lives being endangered by unqualified practitioners, with some individuals reportedly having died following treatment by such persons. This is not an isolated phenomenon — unregistered medical practitioners, particularly in peri-urban and migrant-dense areas, remain a persistent public health risk across several Indian states. Pandesara, a predominantly industrial neighbourhood in Surat with a large migrant workforce, is considered especially vulnerable due to limited access to affordable formal healthcare.

Cases against all 16 accused have been registered at Pandesara police station and legal proceedings have been initiated. Separately, the Surat District Health Department is expected to initiate parallel action under the Clinical Establishments Act. With dual criminal and regulatory proceedings now underway, advocates for healthcare accountability are watching to see whether the enforcement translates into lasting closures or whether, as history suggests, the clinics reopen under different names.