Mumbai Crime: Bandra skin clinic founder booked for ‘fake degree’

Ruby Tandon, founder of Shiffa Wellness skin clinic at Linking Road, Bandra, was booked by police for practicing on a fake medical degree; (right) A screenshot of Shiffa Wellness clinic website which claims Ruby Tandon is a medical doctor

Rather than go through the seven-eight years of drudgery to become a dermatologist, a Bandra woman allegedly decided to just pretend to be one. After a successful ‘practice' of over seven years at her Shiffa Wellness Clinic in Bandra, the fake doctor was booked by the Bandra police for posing and practising as a dermatologist without a medical degree. The deception came to light when a team of BMC doctors and police officers, driven by suspicion, landed at her clinic to ascertain her credentials.

The woman has been identified as Ruby Tandon alias Rupinder Dhariwal alias Rupinder Tandon Jagat Dhariwal. The Maharashtra Medical Council certificate that claimed her as being a specialist dermatologist surgeon turned out to be fake.

The proverbial wheels of the government machinery swung into action with the senior police inspector of Bandra police station Sanjay Marathe's letter to Dr Deepak Chavan, assistant medical officer of BMC H West ward. The police officer requested Dr Chavan, who has the responsibility of public health in Bandra West, to verify the credentials of Dr Ruby Tandon of Shiffa Wellness. Dr Chavan visited Shiffa Wellness located at Linking Road, Bandra West along with his colleague Dr Geeta Shukla (38), police inspector Pradeep Kerkar and other staff from BMC and police.

Initially, Tandon and her husband Amit were reluctant to submit the certificate. Later, the woman handed over colour photocopies of the medical certificate in the name of Dr Rupinder Tandon Jagat Dhaliwal which she claimed was her maiden name.

Speaking to mid-day, Dr Chavan said, "We didn't find the name as mentioned in the certificate on the website of Medical Council of India. When we were certain that the certificate was bogus, we asked the police to register a FIR against her."

Senior police inspector Marathe said, "We received information that the clinic was being run on a bogus certificate. With the help of the BMC doctors we verified her medical certificates and it was found to be a fake. We have registered a FIR and are conducting investigations."

Mid-day contacted Tandon, however, despite two days of follow-up, she didn't give her account of the incident.

2014
Year Shiffa Wellness was established