Fake Faridabad cardiologist who performed over 50 surgeries booked for deaths and fraud

A man posing as a heart specialist and allegedly performing over 50 heart surgeries without proper qualifications has been booked for multiple offences including impersonation, forgery, and causing deaths. Identified as Dr Pankaj Mohan Sharma, the accused allegedly holds only an MBBS degree but passed himself off as a cardiologist at a private heart centre operating out of Badshah Khan Government Hospital in Faridabad.

Sharma worked at the facility — affiliated with a Kerala-based hospital chain — for around eight months before the centre was shut in February over compliance issues. During his tenure, he allegedly used fake credentials, conducted high-risk procedures, and even stamped prescriptions under the false title of MD, DNB (Cardiology).

The SGM Nagar police registered an FIR on Tuesday, nearly two months after local advocate Sanjay Gupta filed a complaint detailing how Sharma’s deception had led to the “untimely death of many patients.” The FIR invokes multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including sections for impersonation, criminal conspiracy, grievous hurt by act endangering life, and forgery.

According to the FIR, Sharma also allegedly served as the Managing Director of a film production company, raising further doubts about his professional background. His real identity surfaced only after persistent inquiries and complaints — some of which were filed on the Chief Minister’s portal and with the Anit-Corruption Bureau.

Hospital authorities initially claimed ignorance. The HR head of the Kerala-based hospital, also named in the FIR, said Sharma was hired locally and resigned when asked repeatedly for credentials. “We’ve now centralised hiring approvals. Police have recorded our statements, and we’ve submitted relevant records,” he said. Meanwhile, the hospital chain’s Chairperson and Managing Director have also been booked.

Faridabad’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jayant Ahuja, did not respond to requests for comment. Attempts to reach Sharma were unsuccessful.

Gupta’s complaint further noted that this was not the first controversy surrounding the heart centre — with three earlier FIRs registered, including one by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for misuse of government funds and another against an unqualified echocardiogram technician.

This case follows another shocking incident reported in April from Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, where Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav allegedly posed as British cardiologist Dr John Camm and performed surgeries for over a decade, leading to seven deaths before being arrested in Prayagraj.

The Faridabad case has once again raised critical concerns over the failure of vetting mechanisms in India’s private healthcare sector — and the human cost of unqualified hands in operating rooms.