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Journalism of Courage
Years after a Twitter account impersonating him and posting on contentious political issues disappeared, Dr John Camm, a UK-based cardiologist and professor of clinical cardiology at St George’s University of London, thought the worst was behind him.
Though the Twitter account was taken down, the impersonator has now landed in the police net as cops in Madhya Pradesh begin their probe into the past of “Dr Narendra John Camm”, who is accused of forging his medical qualifications and getting a job at Damoh’s Mission Hospital. The Child Welfare Committee has red-flagged claims that at least seven patients died under his care, and police are investigating whether Narendra John Camm is, in fact, an individual named Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, who allegedly stole the identity of the UK-based cardiologist.
Dr Camm, whose identity the accused allegedly stole, told The Indian Express, “The identify theft cropped up first about 5 years ago — at least to my knowledge. It was very disconcerting. He claimed at various times to both be me and to have been trained by me at St George’s Hospital in London.”
At the time, Yadav allegedly opened a Twitter account under Dr Camm’s name and tweeted urging India to send Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to control the riots in France. The post gained traction after the CM’s account retweeted it, stating: “Whenever extremism fuels riots, chaos engulfs and law and order situation arises in any part of the globe, the world seeks solace and yearns for the transformative ‘Yogi Model’ of Law and Order established by Maharaj Ji in Uttar Pradesh.”
However, several cardiologists in India raised doubts over the veracity of the account and were quick to red flag it. “I discovered that there was little that I could do about it, but younger colleagues, who were active on social media on the Internet, did their best. Indian physicians and cardiologists quickly rumbled that this man has nothing to do with me and attempted to ‘shut him down’,” Dr Camm said.
He said that “all went relatively quiet and I thought that they had been successful”.
After The Indian Express informed Dr Camm about the Madhya Pradesh police investigation, he said, “Your news is upsetting to me and probably much more so to the relatives of patients who suffered a this hands, particularly if he gained some credit/notoriety/expertise by his false claims.”
An FIR was filed on April 5 after the local Chief Health Medical Officer, Dr M K Jain, complained that Yadav performed angiography and angioplasty at the hospital despite not having the requisite registration. Yadav was arrested from Prayagraj Monday night and brought to the local court.
On Tuesday, Yadav was sent to five days police custody after he was produced before a local court. “The accused has told us he was living in Kanpur. Some of his documents were of Uttrakhand and he claims his wife was from that state,” said a police officer.
Police are also trying to verify his claims that he has performed several medical procedures. “Most of his certificates are fake. If he conducted these medical procedures, they are all violations. We are getting in touch with all the hospitals he may have worked with,” the officer said.
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