MUMBAI: Mumbai police are searching for a self-proclaimed doctor who is alleged to have made a fortune by deceiving scores of chronic patients in India and Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, with a so-called miracle medicine. Munir Khan is known for claiming to cure terminal diseases like cancer and brain tumor with his miracle Ayurvedic treatment Body Revival.
The police acted after the Food and Drugs Administration of the Maharashtra government, of which Mumbai is the capital, received a report from its Department of Ayurveda saying that the formula and the ingredients mentioned in advertisements about Body Revival were not capable of curing the various diseases.
There were also several public complaints about the medicine. An FIR was also filed against Khan at Versova police station in January 2008 but no further action was taken. When police finally acted, the doctor fled and remains at large.
The police raided his Health Reactive Clinic in Versova on Oct. 27, and arrested 17 employees, including doctors. The clinic has since been sealed. Originally hailing from Kota in Rajasthan, Khan was a railway contractor before moving into the pharmaceuticals business.
“Though Khan has a passport, we have verified and ascertained that he has not taken a flight out of the country from the day he fled,” Deputy Commissioner of Police K.M. Prasanna told Arab News.
According to experts, Khan’s miracle medicine is nothing but a dubious potion made of honey and herbs, including one that is banned by the forest department. A small bottle is priced at Rs.15,000 (SR1,200). He is said to have earned millions of rupees through sales in India and abroad.
Body Revival has attracted Jeddah residents as well. Dr. Mir Athar Ali, medical director of Samira Polyclinic, said at least three of his patients suffering from chronic diseases have used the Body Revival without being cured.
“They did get some temporary relief from pain, but as soon as they stopped consuming the medicine their symptoms returned,” he said.
On the other hand Dr. Ashfaque Maniar of King Abdul Aziz University Hospital said he knew of two diabetic patients whose sugar levels was under control after consuming Body Revival.
— With input from
Shaheen Nazar in Jeddah
