On April 6, 2025, a Christian missionary hospital in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh drew national attention after allegations surfaced that a fake doctor was employed at the hospital, leading to the deaths of at least seven patients. The man, who had assumed the identity of a renowned British cardiologist, allegedly performed multiple heart surgeries despite lacking medical credentials. The case has since spiralled into a major human rights and healthcare scandal involving impersonation, fraud, and systemic failure in regulation and enforcement.
According to Deepak Tiwari, a lawyer and the president of the district’s Child Welfare Committee, the accused, identified as Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, had been posing as “Dr. N. John Camm,” a distinguished British cardiologist from St. George’s University, London. Yadav reportedly conducted 15 heart surgeries at the Mission Hospital, out of which seven patients lost their lives.
How the matter came to light?
The matter came to light in February 2025, when a patient filed a complaint raising suspicions about the doctor’s ability to conduct a proper diagnosis. Following the complaint, Yadav fled the area.
Tiwari stated, “When documents at the hospital were checked as part of the probe, it was revealed that a man named Narendra Yadav had impersonated the London-based doctor to work here.”
The probe, initially handled by the District Medical Officer, was later escalated, and a high-level panel was constituted at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, to verify the accused’s credentials.
Investigations confirmed that the accused had forged documents and fraudulently used the identity of Professor Camm.
In a letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Deepak Tiwari alleged that the Christian Mission Hospital failed to report the patient deaths to the police. He also claimed that families of the deceased were misled, charged exorbitant fees, and denied post-mortem examinations of the deceased. Dr. Camm himself confirmed via email to the media that his identity had been stolen and used without consent.
A hospital official, while acknowledging the controversy, stated that the individual was appointed through a government-approved agency. “After he ran away, we also gave a complaint to the police about his suspicious behaviour. We also submitted all the documents related to him to the administration and the probe committee,” the official said. The head of the hospital trust, Ajay Lal, was reported to be out of the country at the time.
What the authorities say?
Damoh Collector Sudhir Kochar confirmed that a detailed investigation was underway, though no FIR had been registered initially due to the ongoing verification process. Notably, no direct complaints had been filed by the victims’ families; the only formal complaint had come from the Child Welfare Committee.
NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo acknowledged the gravity of the case. He said the Commission had received the complaint and noted that the hospital, associated with the Ayushman Bharat scheme, had allegedly misappropriated government funds. “This is a serious complaint; we have taken cognisance of the matter, and an investigation is currently going on,” Kanoongo stated.
Who is Ajay Lal?
In a disturbing revelation, Tiwari also alleged that the accused had a prior criminal background, including a kidnapping case registered in Hyderabad, and was known for frequently changing his location. In 2023, under the alias “Dr. N. John Kem,” Yadav had made controversial social media posts, including one suggesting that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should be sent to France during the riots. He also posted doctored images featuring prominent politicians.
Notably, the pastor Ajay Lal, who runs the facility, was represented in the Supreme Court in 2023 by none other than Congress leader Vivek Tankha. He is currently an MP in the Rajya Sabha.
In November 2022, serious allegations surfaced against Ajai Lall, the head of the Mid India Christian Society, accusing him of forcefully converting a Dalit couple and their families to Christianity. The victims revealed that Church authorities not only coerced them into abandoning their Hindu faith but also offered them Rs 1,20,000 at the time of conversion with conditions attached.
Later, when they stopped attending Church services, they were allegedly threatened and asked to return the money with four times the interest. “They initially converted us forcefully and gave us Rs 1,20,000. They asked us to attend Church service and abandon the Hindu religion. When we could not continue, they threatened to recover the amount with heavy interest,” one of the victims stated in a video.
Around the same period, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo filed a complaint against ten members of the Mid India Christian Society. The complaint accused the organisation of converting several Hindu minor students living in its children’s home and discouraging them from pursuing education, instead luring them with promises of becoming future pastors.
What the NHRC found?
The NHRC has now released a detailed investigation report under Case No. 585/12/12/2025, which highlights multiple layers of systemic failure and calls for immediate accountability. The report, dated July 1, 2025, was addressed to the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, the Director General of Police, the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Exemption), and the Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
One of the most severe findings in the NHRC report is the rampant employment of unqualified doctors. The Commission stated, “Fake doctors are a menace to society and are playing with the lives of innocent people recklessly, without any fear of the law.” The report criticised the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Damoh, for failing to conduct routine checks and verifications of qualifications and licenses. NHRC demanded immediate departmental action against the CMHO for dereliction of duty.
Whistleblowers Deepak Tiwari and Krishna Patel, who exposed the racket, were lauded by the Commission. The NHRC recommended that both be granted protection under the Whistleblowers Protection Act, 2014, noting the risks they faced.
A separate fraudulent activity involved the unauthorised use of Dr. Akhilesh Dubey’s name and documents to register and run a Cath Lab in the hospital. Dr. Dubey confirmed he never consented to this use, stating he had merely provided Super Specialist OPD services once a month. The NHRC report noted this as further evidence of the hospital’s habitual forgery and implicates the District Health Officer as complicit.
Financial exploitation of Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries was another focal point of the NHRC report. The hospital allegedly issued inflated bills for surgeries like angiography, with patients being charged between Rs. 2.15 lakh to Rs. 2.80 lakh, despite their eligibility for free treatment under the scheme. The Collector of Damoh, in a communication dated April 26, 2025, confirmed that the complaints were valid.
The NHRC directed the DGP, Madhya Pradesh, to hand over the investigation to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) due to possible financial fraud and misuse of government and foreign funds. It was alleged that Ajai Lall, son of Late Vijai Lall, was involved in receiving foreign donations under false pretences while also drawing from government schemes. The Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Exemption) was instructed to conduct a parallel probe into the hospital’s fundraising activities.
Land-related fraud also featured in the findings. The hospital is currently operating on Plot No. 86/1, a Nazul (government-owned) land, while the lease was officially granted for Plot No. 86/2 to the Disciples of Christ Church only in 2018. Dr. Ajai Lall had applied for construction on Plot No. 86/1 in 2016, claiming ownership, and had even filed a writ petition asserting such ownership. The NHRC stated this indicates deliberate manipulation of land records and accused the police of ignoring material evidence.
The NHRC also criticised the police investigation, noting that only one FIR had been filed despite seven deaths. Citing the Supreme Court’s guidelines in State of Rajasthan vs Surendra Singh Rathore (2025), the Commission emphasised that separate FIRs should have been filed for each incident. Moreover, police had invoked the repealed Madhya Pradesh Medical Council Act of 1987, nullifying their legal basis.
The charges involved—including impersonation, culpable homicide, and financial fraud—demanded more stringent sections of the Indian Penal Code. The Commission noted that the police had shown inaction by waiting for administrative inquiry reports instead of initiating immediate criminal proceedings.
Further investigations revealed that Narendra Yadav was never enrolled at North Bengal Medical College, despite hospital records suggesting otherwise. The NHRC concluded that the hospital management not only failed to verify Yadav’s credentials but also permitted him to perform high-risk surgeries, constituting gross medical negligence.
In conclusion, the NHRC found Mission Hospital guilty of serious violations across the spectrum: regulatory, ethical, legal, and financial. The Commission stated that the entire episode reflects a collapse of oversight mechanisms, administrative accountability, and basic medical ethics. It called upon state and central agencies to take immediate legal and administrative action to prevent recurrence and ensure justice for the victims and their families.
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