Indian police have arrested a man accused of impersonating a renowned British cardiologist and performing fatal surgeries that led to the deaths of at least seven patients. The suspect, Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, also known as Dr N John Camm, allegedly faked his medical qualifications and posed as an internationally trained cardiologist.
Yadav, 53, was working at a missionary hospital in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, where he conducted 64 procedures, including 45 angioplasties. Authorities began investigating after the district’s Child Welfare Committee raised alarms in February over multiple suspicious patient deaths. Investigators discovered that Yadav abruptly left the hospital earlier this year and went into hiding, before being arrested in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
Police believe Yadav forged his medical degrees, noting the documents lacked crucial identifiers like unique registration numbers. He is facing charges of fraud, cheating, and forgery. Despite the serious allegations, Yadav has denied wrongdoing and, just hours before his arrest, issued a legal notice seeking 50 million rupees in damages from individuals accusing him of impersonation.
Adding to the scandal, Yadav is alleged to have misused the name of Professor John Camm, a respected cardiologist at the UK’s St George’s Hospital. He reportedly introduced himself under the alias “Dr N John Camm” to gain credibility. In 2023, Prof. Camm publicly refuted any association with Yadav after a fake X (formerly Twitter) account in his name went viral.
Yadav’s fraudulent activities stretch back years. In 2019, he was arrested for allegedly abducting a British doctor in Hyderabad. In 2014, he was banned for five years by India’s medical council for professional misconduct. He also faced fraud charges in 2013, though that case was stayed.
Despite a fabricated persona and questionable past, hospital officials say he initially appeared competent and convincing. “Nobody suspected him of being a fake doctor,” one official told The Indian Express.
This troubling case highlights critical lapses in medical credential verification, prompting calls for tighter regulatory oversight across India’s healthcare system. Investigations are ongoing.
