KOTTAYAM: A woman who impersonated doctor and cheated people out of money in order to raise money for sex change surgery has been arrested by the police.

The arrested person is Alappuzha native Mercy George (30). Mercy lived in a convent in Alappuzha. She shifted to Kottayam after she fell in love with a private firm employee, hailing from Vanidperiyar. They then started living in a rented house in Karappuzha.

One fine morning Mery developed a great desire for becoming a man. She approached Kottayam Medical College hospital and got the information that the Sex reassignment surgery and treatment will cost lakhs of rupees.

Now, she understood that the only way to find so much money was by fraud. She dressed up as a lady doctor and reached Vayaskarakunnu Ayurveda hospital. She made a fake ID card, bought a stethoscope and flaunted them, wherever she went.

Mercy took thousands of money from a number of patients after promising them the best treatment. Before long, people realised the fraud and complained to the hospital authorities, who in turn lodged a complaint with Kottayam West police.

Mercy left the hospital soon only to ‘join’ Kottayam Medical College and continue her fraud business there. There also, she took money from bystanders after offering them the best treatment. Here, she had dressed up as a male doctor; even male doctors there could not identify her.

It was at this hospital that a victim of her fraud identified her yesterday (Monday) noon. He soon contacted Kottayam West Police Station. Later, West CI Nirmal took her into custody with the help of the Pink police. On a detailed interrogation, she confessed to cheating people.