Dentist Trapped in a Quack's Clinic: Employment Contract, Registration Misuse, and How to Exit Safely

A young dentist, Dr. Rohan Verma, responded to an online advertisement in early February 2025 that promised well-above-average pay for a qualified dental practitioner in a small town near Nagpur. The offer looked legitimate. He relocated with his wife, signed an agreement on plain white paper affixed with a postal stamp, and began work at what was presented as a thriving dental clinic in the Sitabuldi area.

Three weeks in, the reality hit hard. The clinic was run by an unqualified person — a quack — who was using Dr. Verma's registration number issued by the Maharashtra State Dental Council to justify procedures he had no licence to perform. Dr. Verma was being pressured, sometimes intimidated, into conducting unethical treatments. The clinic owner's conduct was dominating and, at times, threatening. And here's the thing — Dr. Verma and his wife felt completely trapped: no local support network, no alternative income, and a contractual clause prohibiting him from opening or working at any clinic within a 10-kilometre radius for five years.

He'd first gone to a general civil lawyer in Nagpur, who advised him to simply give notice and walk out. That approach risked breach-of-contract proceedings and did nothing to address the registration misuse. He then approached Advocate Sudhir Rao. The strategy shifted completely. Complaints were filed before the Maharashtra State Dental Council for registration misuse, a formal objection was raised against the enforceability of the restrictive covenant, and a cease-and-desist notice was sent to the clinic. The agreement's unconscionable and illegal terms were challenged under the Indian Contract Act. Dr. Verma was able to exit lawfully and safely within weeks, with his professional registration protected.

You can read about this case in detail at https://sudhirrao.com/dentist-employment-contract-quack-clinic-registration-misuse/