Mumbai – Dr. Atul Wankhede, an orthopaedic surgeon with ties to several five-star hospitals in the western suburbs, was arrested by the Worli police on Wednesday. He is accused of practicing medicine with fake degrees, endangering patients’ lives, and misusing personal documents to fraudulently obtain official IDs and a passport.
Complaint by Food Delivery Boy
The arrest followed a complaint filed by Avinash Suresh Saminder, a 24-year-old food delivery boy from Chembur, who sought treatment for severe back pain. Saminder had been suffering from a chronic spine condition since 2016-17. On November 19, 2024, he consulted Dr. Wankhede at a suburban hospital. According to Saminder’s complaint, the doctor dismissed his pain as minor, prescribed painkillers, and recommended exercises.
However, Saminder’s condition worsened following the treatment. After discussing his situation with a friend, Ashok Kabale, Kabale advised against continuing Wankhede’s treatment. Kabale also alleged that Wankhede had used false residential details of a mutual acquaintance, Prithviraj Ratanlal Bhatia, to fraudulently obtain an Aadhaar card, voter ID, passport, and other official documents.
Investigation and Arrest
Saminder, suspecting the legitimacy of Wankhede’s credentials, contacted the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to verify the doctor’s medical degree. The MMC informed him that the doctor’s qualifications had been under investigation since 2015. Saminder then lodged a police complaint, leading to the arrest of Dr. Wankhede.
Key Highlights:
- Dr. Atul Wankhede, a prominent orthopaedic surgeon, was arrested for practicing with fake degrees and fraudulent documentation.
- His arrest followed a complaint from Avinash Saminder, who experienced worsening pain after consulting Wankhede.
- Investigations revealed that Wankhede used fraudulent details to secure multiple official documents.
- The Maharashtra Medical Council had been investigating Wankhede’s medical degree since 2015.
Dr. Wankhede was produced before a local court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
