Maharashtra Medical Council's modern medicine practice permission to homeopaths draws IMA's ire
Mumbai, July 7 (PTI): The Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has issued a notification permitting homeopaths to prescribe modern medicines after completing a six-month course in pharmacology, drawing a sharp reaction from the Indian Medical Association, which claims it will dilute modern medical practices.
Demanding a rollback of the permission, the IMA will submit memoranda to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis via the district collector and the tahsildar. If their concerns are not addressed, the association plans a 24-hour withdrawal of non-emergency health services on July 11.
The MMC notification, dated June 30, authorises the initiation of a Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) for homeopathy practitioners, enabling them to practice modern medicine.
This development stems from a previous notification issued on June 25, 2014, regarding amendments to the Maharashtra Homeopathic Practitioners Act and the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, 1965.
Following these amendments, the Medical Education and Drugs Department, Government of Maharashtra, on August 13, 2014, approved to launch the certificate course in pharmacology for homoeopathy practitioners to practice in modern medicine.
"As per a Government of Maharashtra notification dated June 25, 2014, MMC directs all CCMP qualified doctors to register under MMC, for which MMC is launching a portal on its website for the registration of CCMP qualified doctors with specific instructions from July 15, 2025", the MMC stated.
When contacted, MMC Administrator Dr. Vinky Rughwani stated that the notification was issued following the government's directions, which were based on legal opinion from the Law and Judiciary Department.
"This notification was issued under instructions from the government, which consulted the Law and Judiciary Department," he said.
However, the decision has been met with resistance from the Indian Medical Association, which said the MMC move will mislead patients.
"This is absolutely wrong and we are against it as it will hoodwink patients and dilute modern medical practices. Currently, the matter is subjudice and the Bombay High Court has granted a stay after IMA filed an application", IMA national vice president Shivkumar Utture told PTI.
According to Dr. Utture, the IMA had challenged the state government’s 2016 amendments to the Maharashtra Homeopathic Practitioners Act and Maharashtra Medical Council Act in the High Court.
"This notification undermines the statutory and ethical framework of MMC and will create confusion among patients. The patients have the right to choose which treatment they prefer and this will only add to chaos," he added.
He claimed the MMC has been functioning without an elected body since 2022.
IMA Maharashtra president Dr Santosh Kadam claimed that the state government had held consultations only with the Homeopathy Council, Homeopathy associations, and private colleges in May, without inviting the IMA for its input.
"Modern medicine is very complex and interrelated. My question is just by doing a course in pharmacology, how can a homoeopath be on par with an MBBS doctor. I think political pressure and a bid to raise fees in Homoeopathy colleges prompted this decision," he added.
He said the IMA, through its 220 branches, will submit memoranda to the Chief Minister via the district collector and the tahsildar. If their concerns are not addressed, the association plans a 24-hour withdrawal of non-emergency health services on July 11.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
