The owner of a physiotherapy clinic, allegedly masquerading as an orthopaedic, was arrested in Jamshedpur on Wednesday after he tried to swindle a patient of MGM Medical College and Hospital of Rs 18,000.

Police are verifying if M. Raza (45), a resident of Mango, has the licence to even run his physiotherapy clinic at Baradwari, half a kilometre from the state-run hospital in Sakchi where he has been routinely poaching on patients with joint pain and hindered mobility for years.

"Raza is in our custody and we are checking his credentials. Even if he has a licence to operate the clinic, he will be booked for extorting patients posing as an orthopaedic," said Sakchi thana OC Mohan Kumar Sharma

On how the impostor was caught, an official of MGM hospital said he had convinced a woman to visit his clinic on Monday, but she grew suspicious when he demanded a large sum for her treatment.

"Chaita Devi, a resident of Gurdwara Road, was visiting our hospital OPD with back pain last Friday when she met Raza. He told her he was a doctor and she could be cured at his clinic in Baradwari. An appointment was fixed for Monday and the woman went to the clinic," the official said.

Raza apparently explained to her the line of treatment he planned to relieve her of her pain and said it would cost her Rs 18,000. Take aback by the demand, Chaita Devi consulted a social worker, Vikas Singh, she knew. Singh suspected foul play and asked her to wait. He visited the hospital OPD on Wednesday and found Raza.

Singh spoke to MGM superintendent Bharatendu Bhushan who confirmed that the man was an outsider. The social worker grilled Raza about what his business was at the hospital and the latter fumbled for an answer. Police were called and the man was handed over to them.

G.S. Baraik, head of orthopaedics at MGM, said he was not aware of any outsider posing as a doctor at the OPD. "We do not allow outsiders to loiter around," he said.

Hospital superintendent Bhushan conceded that Raza was poaching on MGM patients by saying he was an independent orthopaedic who had a better private clinic. "He is neither a doctor nor a staff. Police should take appropriate action against him."

MGM insiders said this was not the first time Raza was caught doing illegal business.

"Three years ago, when S.S. Prasad was the superintendent, Raza was found convincing a patient to visit his Baradwari clinic. The hospital staff had tied him to a pole. He was then let off with a warning," said a an employee.