The city police on Friday arrested a B.Tech graduate hailing from Vijayawada on the charge of duping a family of ₹1 lakh during a medical emergency by impersonating a doctor. The police seized ₹30,000, an apron and a stethoscope from his possession.
The accused has been identified as I. Jyothi Sivasri, alias Dr. Narasimham alias Dr. Praveen (37), a resident of Vijayawada.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Ch Manikanta said that the five-year-old son of D. Ramji, a native of Srikakulam district, has been suffering from a kidney ailment. The child has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city since July 2024. The doctors advised a kidney transplant, leaving the family in financial distress.
Mr. Ramji published an appeal in a Telugu newspaper, seeking financial help. In February, he received a call from an unknown person, who identified himself as Dr. Narasimham. Claiming that he had got the details of the child’s illness from the government, he asked Mr. Ramji to bring the child’s medical records to King George Hospital (KGH). Mr. Ramji went to KGH, where a person, who identified himself as Dr. Praveen, a PG doctor, approached him and demanded ₹1 lakh, stating it was required for further procedures. Mr. Ramji gave him ₹1 lakh, only to realise later that he had been cheated.
