Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, the fake doctor impersonating a UK-trained cardiologist and the central figure in the disturbing medical scandal centered in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, was arrested on April 7, 2025, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Allegedly posing as Professor A. John Camm, a highly respected cardiologist affiliated with St. George’s University of London, Yadav is accused of performing heart surgeries on at least 15 individuals, seven of whom tragically lost their lives. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) initiated a comprehensive investigation into the case, following which an FIR was filed against Yadav late on Sunday.

While Yadav has been dominating headlines the couple of days, this is not the first time he has been caught on the wrong side of the law. 

Who is ‘fake doctor’ Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav?

Local police confirmed that the individual’s Aadhaar card lists his true name as Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, and that he does not appear to be a doctor at all. His claimed qualifications include an MBBS from Andhra Pradesh, along with several questionable MD and cardiology degrees allegedly obtained from locations such as Darjeeling, Calcutta, and the UK, none of which are supported by verifiable registration numbers.

Yadav joined Mission Hospital in January 2025, presenting himself as “Dr N. John Camm,” claiming to be the renowned UK-based cardiologist Professor John Camm. Yadav allegedly conducted at least 15 heart surgeries at the hospital—angiographies and angioplasties—resulting in seven confirmed deaths. 

The hospital, part of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, claim that they were also hoodwinked by Yadav, and that they had hired him through Integrated Workforce Inquiry Solution Private Limited for a monthly salary of Rs. 8 lakh a month, without knowing of his dubious credentials. 

“The fraud was committed with us as well. We are supporting the administration in the investigation. The doctor, Narendra John Camm, hails from Uttarakhand, and he was appointed through the government-authorized Integrated Workforce Inquiry Solution Private Limited (IWUS) agency. He joined on January 1 and left in February without informing anyone,” hospital-in-charge Pushpa Khare told the media. 

Who is the real Professor John Camm?

Prof John Camm is a renowned UK based cardiologist at the St George’s Hospital and Medical School. Allegations that Yadav was impersonating this well-known cardiologist was first reported in 2023. At the time, a controversial tweet from the Twitter handle @njohncamm, claiming that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath could quell the escalating riots in France within 24 hours, gained significant attention. This post, dated June 30, 2023, was amplified by the official Twitter account of Adityanath’s office and several mainstream news outlets. 

However, investigations by fact-checking organisations, including BOOM, revealed that the account had nothing to do with the real Prof Camm. When contacted by BOOM via email, he denounced the @njohncamm account as an unauthorized use of his identity, stating it was “stealing his identity.” 

It was found that the account actually belonged to Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, also known as Narendra John Camm, a figure with a murky history in the medical field across India and abroad. Yadav was accused of misappropriating the identity of Professor A. John Camm, a distinguished emeritus professor of cardiology at St. George’s University of London. 

‘Fake’ doctor performed surgery on ex-speaker who later died 

Reports suggest that Yadav had been posing as a cardiologist, and carrying out complex medical procedures such as heart surgeries for decades now. In 2006, Yadav had allegedly performed heart surgery on then MLA of Chhattisgarh, Rajendra Prasad Shukla, who passed away following the procedure. 

“Later, we came to know from others that Yadav did not have a degree of doctor and was a fraud. Even complaints were made against him earlier. The Bilaspur unit of Indian Medical Association had probed them. After my father’s death, a few more cases of death of patients treated by Yadav came to light following which he was asked to quit Apollo Hospital (where the surgery took place),” Shukla’s youngest son, Pradeep Shukla, is quoted as saying.

As the Apollo Hospital Public Relations Officer, Devesh Gopal confirmed to the media that Yadav had served there; he said, “He (Yadav) was associated (with the hospital) around 18-19 years back. It is a very old matter. The exact details, like for how long he was posted and how many patients he handled, are being collected. All the factual details will be shared once the documents are collected.”

Yadav however, seems to have continued practicing ‘medicine,’ until being arrested on Monday. 

Not the first time Yadav is arrested: a history of his criminal records

This does not appear to be the first time he has been arrested; in 2019, he was arrested in Telangana for withholding salaries from hospital employees. He also faced another case involving the alleged wrongful confinement of a UK critical care expert.

Despite the dubious past, it is unclear how the history-sheeter has evaded the law and continued his scam for so long.

Also read: Fake Doctor in Damoh: 7 Die After Heart Surgeries in MP