MUMBAI: An unregistered medical facility in Nalasopara was raided after the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation’s (VVCMC) health department reported illegal activity. Following the raid, authorities filed a case against a practitioner accused of unlawfully giving out abortion medication.
Police identified the accused as Dr. Zabihullah Abdullah Khan, a BAMS-qualified practitioner who operates Shaheena Clinic in Siddhivinayak Chawl, Nalasopara (East). Although a complaint was lodged at Pelhar police station, Khan was not taken into custody because the charges carry a maximum penalty of under seven years, meaning an arrest is not compulsory. Instead, he was served a notice while the probe continues.
The clinic’s board advertised several medical services—such as general practice, surgery and pathology—but investigators found that Khan was providing abortion pills despite not being trained as a gynecologist or obstetrician. The municipal health team began monitoring the clinic after repeated complaints from local activists. Acting on these reports, Municipal Health Officer Bhakti Chaudhary reached out to the police.
A decoy patient was sent to the clinic on November 29. After the initial consultation, Khan asked her to return on December 6, when he allegedly gave her abortion pills in exchange for ₹1,500. Municipal Medical Health Officer Dr. Krishna Gosavi confirmed the details and said that during the raid, authorities confiscated a range of medicines stored at the clinic.
Senior inspector Sachin Kamble from Pelhar police station noted, “We have registered a case against the doctor. Since the offences are punishable with less than seven years, we issued a notice instead of arresting him. Actions like this will help curb the circulation of unauthorized abortion drugs in the area and protect women’s health.”
