A Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Tiruvallur on Sunday sentenced a quack to six years imprisonment and an additional one year of jail term if he fails to pay the fine amount of ₹6 lakhs. However, the fake doctor is absconding.
M. Mathias (46) was running the St. Johns Social and Medical Service Trust in Boochiathipedu village near Red Hills. For the past ten years, he used to administer drips, injections and prescribe medicines and even sell it at the medical trust itself.
“He is not a qualified medical practitioner. He has done some course in alternative medicine, but was prescribing medicines. We received a complaint in 2014 and the then drug inspector Bhavani initiated an inquiry. Recently it was taken over by R. Chitra, drug inspector, Red Hills Range,” said an official from the Tamil Nadu Drug Control department.
During the inspection, the officials found lots of allopathic medicines without any valid drug licence and he had identified himself as a doctor, claim the officials.
“In 2015, we filed complaint in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Tiruvallur, against him under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act for possessing medicines without valid licences and not mentioning the source from where the medicines were purchased,” added Ms. Chitra.
S. Anitha, Additional Public Prosecutor, represented the government. On Saturday, .Chief Judicial Magistrate M. Shirijha sentenced Mathias to six years imprisonment and slapped a fine of ₹6 lakhs.
A non-bailable warrant has been issued. “A lot of quacks are being nabbed now. Especially after the dengue cases started emerging, a lot of quacks are being exposed,” said the official.
