72 Doctors Scammed of ₹2 Crore by Fraudulent Tour Operator

72 Doctors Duped of ₹2 Crore by Bogus Tour Operator Promising Baku Holiday

MUMBAI: In a shocking fraud, 72 doctors collectively lost ₹2 crore to an individual who was impersonating a tour operator and promised them an idyllic holiday in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The accused perpetrator, Sharad Hegde, had the doctors at a five-star hotel in Powai during a conference organized by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) in November 2024. As per police reports, Hegde introduced himself as the founder of IRIS Global Media and said he had experience as an event manager, providing structured group tours to several foreign locations.

“By way of the society, the doctors remain abreast of medical practice, do social work, and organize personal and family vacations,” explained a police officer from Dadar police station. The conference drew about 200 doctors from all over the country, and on the last day, November 17, Hegde took advantage of the situation to sell his travel packages.

In order to win the trust of the doctors, Hegde showed pictures of past trips he allegedly organized. Some of the guests were interested in going to Baku as their dream vacation. A WhatsApp group was soon formed to plan, and 88 doctors joined to make arrangements for the trip. Hegde promised the group that he would send a detailed itinerary within a week.

On November 21, he announced that the overall expense for the tour would be ₹1.5 lakh per individual, including visa fees, traveling costs, and stay. Desperate to grab the opportunity, 72 doctors enrolled and were told to make their payments by April 7, 2025, with the intended date of travel between May 18 and 24. Payments were made into Hegde’s company bank account amounting to a total of ₹2.14 crore, and he gave receipts for the payments.

But the sophisticated scam started to come undone as the deadline for payments neared. On April 7, Hegde posted in the WhatsApp group that certain payments had been delayed and that he would be offering refunds. Scammers often use this strategy to gain confidence.

When the doctors insisted on being refunded their money, Hegde gave back only ₹13.10 lakh to a few of them. After incessant follow-ups and hollow explanations, the rest of ₹2 crore never showed up. It transpired that they had been cheated, which led them to seek help from the law enforcers.

The police have filed a case against Hegde under sections 318 (3) for cheating and 316 (2) for criminal breach of trust under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Investigations are continuing into the scam, but Hegde is said to be still on the run and not yet arrested.

Dr. Rohan Palshetkar, a 36-year-old gynaecologist at D Y Patil Hospital in Navi Mumbai, was found to be one of the complainants spearheading the case against Hegde. With the investigation ongoing, the medical fraternity is still disturbed by this outrageous act of dishonesty that has destroyed their confidence.