A sophisticated scam involving aesthetic beauty treatments and bogus franchise opportunities has left a 37-year-old Chennai woman ₹70 lakh poorer, with police reportedly taking over half a year to register a First Information Report (FIR) despite her persistent efforts.
Riji Vijayan Nair claims she was duped by Jeevitha Bugatha, who posed as a qualified medical professional specializing in cosmetology. Despite submitting evidence to the Central Crime Branch (CCB), the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC), and the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS), Nair says police refused to treat the matter as criminal. In June 2025, CCB officials concluded it was a civil matter and declined to register a case.
Frustrated with the inaction, Nair approached the Egmore Magistrate Court. On 3 July 2025, the court ruled that her complaint established a cognizable offence and instructed the CCB to investigate and register an FIR if a prima facie case exists.
The Allegations
According to Nair, she first met Jeevitha in July 2024 at “London Beautorium,” a clinic in Anna Nagar that marketed itself as a center for skin and hair treatments. Jeevitha claimed to be an MBBS graduate from the Philippines with expertise in clinical cosmetology. She allegedly offered to provide Nair with franchise rights for her brand and even promised her an “MBBS degree certificate” to help obtain the necessary licenses, despite Nair not being from a medical background.
Nair says she invested ₹70 lakh in the business venture but later discovered that Jeevitha’s medical credentials were fake and the training certificates she provided were also fabricated. She further alleges that unqualified individuals were being trained and allowed to carry out cosmetic procedures, posing a risk to public health.
The London Beautorium has an active presence on Instagram and YouTube, featuring promotional videos of Jeevitha, including franchise announcements in Hyderabad, Tirupati, Dubai, and the Philippines. One such event in Tirupati was reportedly attended by a former Andhra Pradesh minister and a popular actor.
Ongoing Legal Efforts
After repeated visits to grievance meetings hosted by Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun and appeals to senior CCB officials, Nair finally secured a court directive to move the investigation forward.
Apart from her own complaint, another individual, R. Muthuraman (32), has also lodged a similar fraud case against Jeevitha, claiming he too was deceived.
R. Gurumurthy, Quackery Eradication Officer at TNMC, confirmed forwarding Nair’s complaint to the Chennai police months ago, but no action had been taken. Nair is now demanding that Jeevitha be booked for impersonating a medical practitioner, forgery, and violations of medical safety regulations. A senior official from the Greater Chennai Police said the matter would be reviewed, though the investigating officer has not responded to calls. Repeated attempts to contact Jeevitha for her response were unsuccessful.
(With inputs from TNIE)
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