User:Netha Hussain/Mohanan Vaidyar

Mohanan Vaidyar (real name: Mohanan Nair) is a self-proclaimed naturopath based in Kerala, India. He is known for campaigning against modern medicine and vaccines, and has been arrested by police for illegally prescribing medicines for coronavirus infection. He runs treatment centers in Kerala, where he advises naturopathic medication for ailments including cancer and kidney stones. He claims that he does not take any fees for medical consultation.

Controversy
Mohanan was in news for popularizing pseudoscience, making fake claims and promoting alternative medicine for serious ailments. He has made fake claims during the Nipah virus infection in 2018 and COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala.

Nipah virus infection
During the Nipah virus outbreak in 2018, he posted on social media that there was no problem in eating fruits bitten by bats, although bats were known to be the reservoir of the disease. He also shared videos of himself eating fruits which claimed has also been bitten by bats. The video was later taken down under the directive of Kerala government.

Death of a boy
In September 2019, he was booked by the police following the death of a boy whom he treated. The treatment for this boy consisted of gooseberry juice and borax for curing propionic acidemia. His treatment center in Alappuzha was shut down following this incident. He was arrested in October 2019 for giving wrong treatment for another child.

Janakeeya Kodathi
Mohanan appeared in a TV show called Janakeeya Kodathi, in the Malayalam channel News24. He claimed that he was drugged before the show, which made him talk less sensibly. He filed a court case against the channel for defamation, but the program was still aired.

COVID-19
Mohanan claimed on social media that he can cure all viral diseases including COVID-19. A raid conducted by Kerala police at his Ayurveda treatment center at Pattikkad, Thrissur on receiving the information that he was offering treatment for coronavirus infection. He did not have license to treat patients or provide medications. He was arrested and was charged with Sections 419 (Punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 17(4) of the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, which directs imprisonment for any non-qualified medical practitioner. Mohanan was remanded in Viyyur prison, and he was housed in a cell next to two prisoners who were suspected to have coronavirus infection. Considering this, the court did not send him in police custody.