Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known by his internet moniker 'The Liver Doc', has been issued a summons by the Uttar Pradesh Police Crime Branch in Raebareli over his social media posts criticising AYUSH and Homeopathy practices. The summons asked Philips to appear at the police station within three days.
Philips describes himself as a "highly published and certified hepatologist" who is "battling Ayush misinformation".
Initially, Philips did not believe in the authenticity of the summons' but he received a rude shock when he was able to confirm its validity. A formal complaint was filed in September 2023 by a Homeopathy practitioner named Rajeev Singh. Singh's complaint challenged Philips's vocal stand against Homeopathy's efficacy in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Philips said that the summons was nothing but a representation of the challenges faced by those who stood with the "truth". He slammed the summons as a systemic flaw wherein baseless complaints, fuelled by political vested interests, are entertained without proper investigation. Philips highlighted his role as a medical science professional, who strived for evidence-based practices and debunked pseudoscientific claims.
This isn't Philips' first encounter with the law over his professional opinions. He recalled a prior incident wherein the Kerala Police had initiated a probe into his publications on an alleged liver injury due to practices advocated by Ayush. That probe was prompted by a complaint from an Ayurveda practitioner. Philips even highlighted the implications of such harassment, especially for those lacking his resources and support base.
In light of these developments, Philips called for a thorough examination of the mechanisms governing the procedures of such complaints. He stressed the need to safeguard the freedom of expression and intellectual discourse, particularly within the medical community.