A doctor from Vadodara allegedly sexually abused over 30 women patients by first offering them free treatment and then resorting to blackmail. Accused Pratik Joshi perpetrated the crime with the help of his compounder, said the police.

Joshi, who practised allopathy in Nandesari village, was booked on Sunday after a woman came forward to lodge a complaint against him and his accomplice Dilip Gohil. While Joshi is on the run, the police have arrested Gohil.

Gohil has told the Nandesari police that Joshi offered his services for free to women patients in return for sex. Joshi and Gohil trapped the women by recording the act and used it for repeated sexual assaults. This had been going on for the past one and half years, he said.

According to the complainant, she was blackmailed several times by the doctor and his assistant forced her into sex nine times.

Sources said Joshi went underground two months ago after at least 25 videos of him having sex with the patients went viral on social media. The police said his wife moved to her mother’s house after she learnt about her husband’s crime.

Apparently, Joshi himself was blackmailed and extorted by five villagers, including the deputy sarpanch, after Gohil showed them the videos.

JK Patel, inspector of Nandesari police station, said only one survivor has approached them so far. “Most of the others are reluctant. We believe more than 30 women of the village were abused.”

Patel said they have formed two teams to track down Joshi. “Regarding the allegation on five other people, we will record their statements first.”