Bogus doctor, abortion pill supplier arrested in Kolhapur’s Panhala tehsil

Kolhapur: Personnel of the local crime branch and the health department jointly arrested a bogus doctor and his agent on Friday, for illegally operating a clinic and dispensing abortion pills, respectively, in Khotwadi village of Kolhapur's Panhala tehsil.The accused, identified as 28-year-old Rishikesh Khot of Khotwadi, Mazgaon, was running a clinic without any medical qualifications, while Rishikesh Mane (27) of Ambainagar, Hupari, supplied abortion pills to the clinic. Both were caught red-handed during a joint raid and arrested. A case has been registered at the Panhala police station, and further investigation is underway.LCB inspector Sushant Chavan said action followed secret information that Khot had set up an illegal clinic, ‘Shri Samarth Clinic,' and was dispensing abortion pills for money. To verify this, the police sent a female officer posing as a patient to the clinic on Friday. Khot allegedly agreed to provide abortion pills for 3,000, and called Mane to supply the medicines."Mane arrived at the clinic with the pills, and while the medicines were being administered, our team, along with the zilla parishad health officials, conducted a raid and apprehended both accused," Chavan said. Medical officers later confirmed that Khot did not possess any recognised medical degree.The operation was executed by an LCB team led by inspector Sushant Chavan, with sub-inspector Jalinder Jadhav and other police personnel, along with district health department officials and legal representatives assisting in the action.