Published Mar 05, 2026 | 6:18 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 05, 2026 | 6:27 PM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: A Mumbai-based homeopathy practitioner, Dr Poonam Sharma, was arrested in Chennai while preparing to conduct ear lobe repair surgeries in a hotel, procedures beyond her BHMS qualification. Police are probing her promotions, payments, and registrations. Dermatologists flagged violations of Tamil Nadu’s Clinical Establishments Act, warning of infection risks and quackery. Investigations and possible legal action continue.
A homeopathy practitioner from Mumbai was arrested from a Chennai hotel lobby on Wednesday, 4 March, moments before she was scheduled to conduct ear lobe repair surgeries, procedures that medical bodies say fall outside the scope of her qualifications entirely.
Dr Poonam Sharma and her associate Shilpa were arrested and brought to the E3 Teynampet Police Station for enquiry.
Inspector Senthil Kumar confirmed the development to South First, saying the two were “caught from the hotel” and are currently being investigated.
Police are examining the nature of the procedures advertised, Dr Sharma’s qualifications, and whether permissions were obtained to conduct medical procedures in a hotel setting.
The enquiry is also looking into advance payments collected and the manner in which appointments were scheduled.
Investigators are verifying documents, registrations, and the online promotions linked to her website and social media handle. Officers indicated that further action would depend on what the enquiry reveals.
A WhatsApp message promising “ear hole repair treatment” in Chennai on 5 March and Coimbatore on 6 March had been circulating widely last week.
The invite said Dr Sharma, a homeopathy practitioner holding a BHMS degree and known on Instagram as “earholerepair_dr“, would conduct procedures at Hotel Palm Grove in Nungambakkam from 9 am to 4 pm, and the next day at Hotel Comfort in RS Puram, Coimbatore. Patients were asked to WhatsApp for appointments and pay an advance of Rs 2,000 through GPay or Paytm.
When South First visited Hotel Palm Grove, there were no signboards announcing any such medical camp. Other events were displayed in the lobby, but nothing about ear lobe repair.
The receptionist said the programme had been cancelled barely an hour before it was scheduled to start, adding that they “didn’t know anything more” about the booking.
When South First contacted the number mentioned in the message, a member of Dr Sharma’s team said they were “not conducting such an event in Chennai” and that it had been cancelled.
The Coimbatore event, they added, “has been postponed” and fresh dates would be announced later.
On Instagram, Poonam Sharma has amassed over 800 videos. She describes herself as an “expert in safe ear piercing and lobe repair” offering “hygienic, painless, doctor-led care.”
Her profile goes further, claiming she has treated more than 5,000 patients across 15 cities — positioning herself as “one trusted ear care expert.”
Her website markets the procedure under the brand name “Auroplasty,” describing it as a solution for those who struggle to wear earrings due to stretched or damaged lobes.
“Many of us have problems due to big ear lobes, hence unable to wear proper ear-rings. Sometimes you may also lose costly ear studs like diamonds because of this problem,” it reads.
The site pitches Auroplasty as a “novel, safe, economical, without stitches, reliable and permanent procedure.”
It also claims the clinic has been “successfully practicing ear hole/lobe repair treatment with 100 percent closing in one sitting with piercing of new hole, unlike other procedures where new piercing is done after 4–8 weeks.”
What the website does not prominently address is the basis on which a BHMS-qualified practitioner, trained in homeopathy, not allopathic surgery, is performing procedures that involve incision, suturing, and local anaesthesia.
The issue had already drawn the attention of the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists – Tamil Nadu branch (IADVL-TN). In a formal complaint to the Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, Dr PK Kaviarasan, President of IADVL-TN, said Dr Sharma was “advertising and performing ear lobe repair procedures in temporary hotel setups,” calling it a serious risk to public safety.
Dr Hariharan of the Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu, told South First the act was “illegal.”
He pointed to the recently released Government Order under the Clinical Establishments Act — G.O. Ms. No. 41 dated February 13, 2026 — which makes clear that only qualified specialists such as dermatologists and cosmetologists can perform such surgical procedures in properly equipped facilities.
“The Tamil Nadu branch and our anti-quackery committee together stopped the attempt of a homeopathy practitioner to convert a hotel into a makeshift clinic and perform ear lobe repair,” Dr Rajetha Damisetty, senior dermatologist from Hyderabad and Chairperson of the IADVL Anti-Quackery Committee told South First.
“She was arrested thanks to the prompt action by the Joint Director of Health Services and the police, especially the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Teynampet.”
Dr Sharma holds a BHMS degree– Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery. A BHMS graduate is trained in homeopathy and related subjects, but is not qualified to perform surgical procedures under allopathic standards unless separately credentialled and registered.
The IADVL-TN noted that ear lobe repair involves incision, suturing, and administration of local anaesthesia.
“Such procedures fall within the formal curriculum and scope of registered allopathic practitioners and specialists such as dermatologists, ENT surgeons and plastic surgeons,” its complaint stated.
The association warned of infection risks, bleeding, shock, and the absence of emergency preparedness in non-clinical environments, describing such events as potentially amounting to “quackery and violation of medical norms.”
“Temporary, non-clinical settings raise serious concerns regarding infection control and patient safety,” the complaint added.
The association has urged authorities to conduct an “immediate enquiry into the qualifications, registration status, and clinical establishment compliance” of the practitioner and take action under the Clinical Establishments Act.
An advocate representing the body has also indicated readiness to pursue the matter legally in the interest of patient safety.
Dr Damisetty stressed that homeopathy does not include surgical training.
“Homeopathy, by definition, does not involve surgical, aesthetic or therapeutic procedures,” she told South First.
If anyone other than a qualified dermatologist or plastic surgeon performs procedures using medical-grade lasers or energy-based devices, they can face charges of quackery, she added.
She also urged people to be cautious before signing up for cosmetic or minor surgical procedures.
“The public must check the qualifications of the doctor they are consulting. Only those with MBBS and National Medical Commission-recognised dermatology degrees such as MD Dermatology, DVL, DDVL or DNB Dermatology are trained for such procedures,” she said.
“Patients should be able to tell the difference between them and those with BDS, BHMS, BAMS or honorary titles. It’s about protecting your skin, your health and sometimes even your life.”
