Navi Mumbai civic body to probe eye doctor who ruined vision of six

At least six senior citizens including a horror film actor and a woman whose son works with the Navi Mumbai police commissionerrsquos office are now partially or fully blind after undergoing cataract surgeries allegedly performed by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation NMMC panel doctor Chandan PanditWhile one victim has already filed an FIR with Vashi police others are now coming forward The NMMC has initiated an internal investigation This comes even as victims reveal that Dr Pandit had previously been suspended for negligence but was reinstated in 2017The allegationsDr Pandit allegedly conducted surgeries at his fatherrsquos clinic which victims claim is not an authorised medical facility for such procedures The complainants also allege that when surgeries go wrong Dr Pandit conveniently shifts the blame onto his elderly fatherVictimSpeakRajendra Gupta 67 said ldquoI was once called the lsquoBike Kingrsquo in my area as I rode long distances on my bike Today I struggle to go to the bathroom without help One wrong surgery changed everythingrdquo Guptarsquos daughter Deepali said ldquoDr Pandit conducted the surgery despite my father being diabetic We trusted him because of his NMMC panel statusrdquoRaj Kumar Chandan 76 a horror film actor and resident of Vashi said ldquoI went to his clinic in 2014 for cataract surgery He made me oneeyed I still regret the day I walked into his clinic I have acted in scary films but nothing is scarier than living like this He robbed me of my sight and my careerrdquo Anjani Sawant a resident of Airoli said ldquoMy son works in Police Commissioner Milind Bharambersquos office and yet I feel helpless My world is now a blur Strict action should be taken against himrdquoSanjeev Gupta a resident of Juhu Gaon Vashi said ldquoI went for cataract surgery in December 2022 Six months later I started losing vision in both eyes because of the poorquality lenses He didnrsquot give me proper documents When I went to collect my documents and told Dr Pandit my eyes were constantly watering he replied lsquoit is godrsquos giftrsquo I didnrsquot file a complaint earlier but now I support Rajendra Guptarsquos fight for justicerdquoKisan Bhikaji Dhanawade 69 and his wife Laxmi Kisan Dhanawade 64 residents of Airoli Thane have partial vision loss Their son Praveen said ldquoWhen I had my parentsrsquo eyes checked recently at a hospital in Nerul I discovered that the lenses used were of very low quality and can be purchased for just R800 in the market I filed a complaint with the police and an FIR was registered We demand justice for my parents Doctors have told me that they cannot replace the lenses nowrdquoAction initiatedDr Prashant Jawade NMMCrsquos medical officer health said ldquoWersquove taken serious note of the complaints An investigation has been proposedrdquoSenior Inspector Sanjay Dhumal of Vashi police added ldquoAn FIR has been registered against both Dr Chandan Pandit and his 87yearold father Dr DV Pandit We have registered a complaint based on a report by the civil surgeon The doctors are accused of having conducted the surgeries in a rash hasty and negligent manner As a result six patients including a couple aged 65 suffered severe eye injuriesrdquoDhumal added ldquoWe are also checking if doctors are allowed to carry out surgeries at the age of 87 We also found that the doctors had not renewed their licenses with the Maharashtra Medical Council They have been booked the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS as well as provisions of the National Medical Commission ActrdquoDeepali said ldquoThe Vashi police told us to provide a certificate issued by Padma Shri Dr TP Lahane confirming vision loss They said once they get this they will proceed under stronger sectionsrdquoPassing the buckAccording to sources when confronted Dr Pandit reportedly claimed that the surgeries were performed by his father not him However patients strongly deny this ldquoIt was Dr Chandan Pandit who performed the surgeryrdquo Deepali saidOusted quietly reinstatedDr Pandit had been suspended in 2016 by thencommissioner of NMMC Tukaram Mundhe but was reinstated in 2017 under Dr Ramaswamy without a full inquiry according to internal documents accessed by middayDespite several attempts by this newspaper Dr Chandan Pandit and his father Dr DV Pandit were unavailable for comment2016Year Dr Chandan Pandit was suspendedlsquoRobbed of sightrsquoSanjeev GuptalsquoI went for cataract surgery in December 2022 Six months later I started losing vision in both eyesrsquoRaj Kumar ChandanlsquoI have acted in scary films but nothing is scarier than living like this He robbed me of my sight and my careerrsquoKisan and Lakshmi DhanawadelsquoDue to negligence of the doctor poorquality lenses were implanted two years ago resulting in partial vision lossrsquoRajendra GuptalsquoI struggle to go to the bathroom without help One wrong surgery changed everythingrsquoAnjani SawantlsquoMy son works in Police Commissioner Milind Bharambersquos office and yet I feel helpless My world is now a blurrsquo