In a shocking case of medical fraud, a senior citizen from Andheri, Mumbai, was conned by two men who posed as medical professionals, performing a fake knee surgery at her home and swindling her family out of Rs 7.2 lakh. According to the police, the accused—identified as Zaffar Merchant and Vinod Goyal—carried out the sham surgery in October 2021 by making superficial cuts on the woman’s knees, extracting fluid, and applying turmeric in a staged procedure to deceive the family.

The family, trusting in the “doctor’s” promise that her knee pain was cured, paid the sum in cash. However, when the pain continued and further attempts to contact Merchant and Goyal were unsuccessful, the family grew suspicious. They eventually reported the case to the police after reading about similar scams targeting elderly citizens in Mumbai’s western suburbs.

Merchant and Goyal are suspected of being habitual offenders involved in multiple fraud cases against senior citizens. They are now booked under sections 419 and 420 of the IPC for cheating by impersonation and fraud.

This incident highlights a disturbing trend where fraudsters exploit the vulnerability of the elderly, posing as healthcare providers and performing staged treatments. Authorities urge families to thoroughly verify credentials when approached with unconventional home-based medical services.