No Raids, Few FIRs: RTI Reveals Lack Of Action Against Quacks In Delhi

A recent Right to Information (RTI) reply from the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) and a performance audit of Delhi's health regulatory system point to persistent inaction and systemic failures in curbing operations by quack doctors across the national capital.

Data shows that in 2025 only one case was registered against a quack doctor, while in 2024 not a single case was forwarded. In 2021, the DMC forwarded 11 cases to Delhi Police to register FIRs. In 2022 and 2023, this dropped to five each year. Police registration of FIRs exactly mirrors these numbers, meaning law-enforcement action is limited to the cases the DMC pushes forward.

No Anti-Quackery Raids Conducted By Medical Council 

In the RTI response, the DMC also clarified that the Council does not conduct anti-quackery raids or inspections. Instead, it places responsibility on district-level health officers (CDMOs) under the Delhi government's Directorate General of Health Services. This effectively means that the body legally responsible for regulating modern medical practice in the capital has no direct field-level action against unqualified practitioners.

In a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, RTI activist Dr Aman Kaushik raised concerns about the issue and sought urgent government intervention to strengthen inspections, ensure prompt legal action, create an online portal for reporting quacks, and publish regular updates on FIRs and inspections to ensure transparency and accountability.

Despite repeated complaints and clear legal provisions empowering the DMC to act against unqualified practitioners, data now shows that enforcement on the ground has been minimal, often delayed for years, and in several recent years, virtually non-existent.

Audit Report Shows System Collapsing Over Years

The CAG audit found that around 42 per cent doctors had not renewed their mandatory registration by May 2022, raising concerns about basic compliance. The audit also discovered that in 14 complaint cases checked between 2017 and 2022, no inspections were carried out at all, showing clear gaps in follow-up.

Enforcement against quacks has been extremely weak. From 2016 to September 2022, the police registered FIRs against only 40 unqualified practitioners, even though 335 such individuals had been identified. This means action was taken in just 12 per cent of cases. The audit further noted that the Council did not pursue matters in situations where police failed to act, leaving many cases unresolved.

The audit also highlighted that the DMC's Anti-Quack Response Team (AQRT) had not conducted even a single surprise raid during the period under review. The CAG explicitly states that this inaction allows quacks to "operate with impunity" as deterrence is "non-existent".

The DMC, in its 2022 response to auditors, claimed that delays by CDMOs and police refusal to register FIRs hinder timely action. The audit dismissed this justification, stating that it remains the DMC's statutory responsibility to curb medical practice by unqualified persons in Delhi.

Very Few Inspection Reports From District Authorities

The RTI reply shows how limited action on the ground has been. In 2020, the Council received no reports at all. The following years showed only modest activity: 11 reports in 2021, 19 in 2022, 9 each in 2023 and 2024, and 22 reports so far in 2025. These figures suggest that very few checks are actually being carried out in a city of over two crore people.

The problem is compounded by the findings from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which highlighted massive delays in inspection. Some reports were submitted between 16 and 2,289 days late, showing that regulatory processes have been breaking down for years.

According to the Delhi Medical Council's website, 154 unregistered clinics were shut in 2016, 84 in 2017, 43 in 2018, 23 in 2019, 12 in 2021, 15 in 2022 and 10 in 2023. 

Regulatory Vacuum Endangering Public Health

The RTI data and the audit findings show a pattern of minimal inspections, long delays, and lack of enforcement even when quacks are identified. As a result, unqualified practitioners continue to operate freely across the capital.