London: An Indian-origin surgeon is being sued by 57 of his former patients in the UK over claims that he carried out unnecessary operations on them. Dr Arackal Manu Nair, who it is alleged gave prostate cancer treatment to patients who did not have the disease, is also being investigated by the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC), it emerged yesterday. The consultant urologist is also alleged to have given some patients laser treatment — a high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) — which was yet to be approved by the UK’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice).

The GMC has placed a number of restrictions on the doctor’s license until July 2017.