Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Katkar of Mumbai’s Worli police station has been suspended for procedural lapses in the arrest of Dr. Atul Wankhede, an orthopaedic surgeon accused of practising with forged medical degrees. The suspension was enacted because Katkar failed to inform his superiors and did not follow the required protocol before arresting the doctor on April 23, 2025. A departmental inquiry has been initiated to investigate the matter further .

Dr. Wankhede, associated with Nanavati Hospital in Juhu, was arrested following a complaint from a food delivery agent who alleged that the doctor’s treatment worsened his chronic back pain. Investigations revealed that Wankhede had been practising medicine using forged documents and had obtained official identification documents, including a passport and Aadhaar card, using falsified information .

The arrest raised concerns within the medical community, particularly regarding the timing and legitimacy of the charges. On May 3, representatives from the Association of Medical Consultants met with senior police officials to express their apprehensions about the due process followed during the arrest .

Dr. Wankhede was granted bail by the Dadar Metropolitan Magistrate Court on April 30, 2025 .

Sources