Jalpaiguri, Nov. 24: The arrest of a quack, A.K. Prasad, from Banarhat here yesterday has once again confirmed health minister Surjya Kanta Mishra?s claim that people across the district are being duped by ?doctors? with fake degrees every day.

After being arrested yesterday, Prasad was produced in the Jalpaiguri court today.

Prasad, who had a thriving practice at his New Central Clinic at Banarhat, had a signboard advertising his ?BA, MA and MS? degrees. Specialising in abortion, he reportedly charged anything between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000 as his fees. ?He charged Rs 3,000 from housewives for abortion, and Rs 1,000 from single women,? said Tapash K. Das, Jalpaiguri additional superintendent of police (ASP). ?We found that all his degrees were fake.?

Birpara Welfare Association, an NGO, had joined the men in khaki to help arrest the quack, Das said. A member of the NGO faked pregnancy and went to Prasad for an ?abortion? and as he was about to ?operate? her, the police and NGO members caught him red-handed. ?Not only is this an illegal business, often there are reports of women dying during abortion,? the ASP said. ?We have initiated action against these doctors.?

According to sources, quacks have rampant practice at Birpara and Falakata. Health officials said the department has launched an awareness campaign. ?At health camps, we try to spread awareness against quacks,? said Bhusan Chakrobarty, the Jalpaiguri chief medical officer of health.