A gang — named “Dr R Zeriwala" — was busted with the arrest of a fraud who promised to cure paralysis by sucking out “poisonous blood" from patients’ bodies, charging them Rs 5,000 for every drop.

The fraud began last year in November, when 67-year-old Mahesh Chadha — partially paralysed after a 2020 brain stroke — and his wife Madhu, a retired government teacher, stopped for breakfast at a Murthal dhaba, where encountered Mohammad Kasim, who posed as Nitin Aggarwal, and told them a story about how his father had recovered from similar paralysis through Dr Zeriwala’s treatment. He also shared his contact number and an address in Delhi’s Dwarka.

Over the next few days, the fraudsters meticulously built trust, with Kasim arranging calls between the victims and people posing as his parents, Times of India reported.

Initially, Sameer, Dr Zeriwala’s supposed assistant, played hard to get. It was claimed that the doctor was busy treating patients in Dubai and Canada.
 

When the couple finally secured an appointment, the fraudsters orchestrated a theatrical performance at the Chadha home, where the fake doctor promised to visit on December 4.

According to TOI, the scam involved Sameer first administering “heated towel therapy", followed by Dr Zeriwala’s dramatic entrance.

Dr Zeriwala used a blade to make incisions on the paralysed areas and sucked blood through a pipe, spitting it onto a chemical-treated surface that turned it yellow — supposedly proving it was “poisonous".

Reportedly, Dr Zeriwala demanded Rs 5,000 for every drop of blood extracted, claiming he had risked his own life as the toxins had flown into his mouth and required him to take special medicine. The gang fished out a total bill of Rs 25 lakh.

The couple at first paid Rs 1 lakh in cash and promised to clear the remaining dues later. However, Dr Zeriwala called them the next day, pressuring them to transfer Rs 19 lakh, claiming he had to send further medicines. Once the money went through, the accused switched off their phones.
Suspecting they had been conned, Madhu filed a complaint and a case of cheating was registered against ‘Dr Zeriwala’, Nitin, Meenakshi, and Sameer on December 23 last year.

Following months of investigation, the cops finally arrested Kasim from Sansgod village in Rajasthan on April 4, 2025. Kasim confessed to receiving Rs 2.5 lakh as his share.

The police investigation revealed that the accused — members of the Singhi gang — had orchestrated similar frauds across Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Noida. The cops said they were trying to trace the gang’s network to multiple states, with numerous members operating from Sangod village.