42 doctors booked for submitting fake certificates to MMC, one arrested

Agripada police registered a case against 42 doctors for submitting fake post-graduation certificates to obtain licenses from the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to practise as specialists.

Agripada police registered a case against 42 doctors for submitting fake post-graduation certificates to obtain licenses from the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to practise as specialists. “We have registered a case against 42 two doctors and have arrested a Nashik-based doctor identified as Dr Nikhil Saundane,” said a police officer.

One doctor has been arrested in the case. (File)

The officer said the case was registered after MMC approached them with a specific complaint about fake documents. In its scrutiny of documents, the medical council learnt about the scam. During inquiry, MMC found that the doctors had failed the examination conducted by a college at Parel for various post-graduate diploma and degrees courses, but had managed to get passing certificates and were even practising as specialists.

The certificates and mark sheets were cross-checked with database of the college but names of several doctors were missing. MMC then suspended licenses issued to some of the doctors and prohibited many of them from practising for certain time period.

Majority of the certificates were related to courses conducted by a Parel-based college and included diploma in gynaecology and obstetrics, diploma in ophthalmology, diploma in general surgery, diploma in cardiology, and fellowship in surgery and medicine.

“As and when we saw anything wrong, we have reported it to the police and other agencies,” said Dr Shivkumar Uttare, president of MMC.

MMC said it had to register a case as forgery was a criminal offence and it becomes more serious when medical professionals are involved in such practices as human lives are at stake.

The 42 doctors have been booked for cheating, forgery, forgery of valuable security, forgery for purpose of cheating, using as genuine a forged document or electronic record, common intention.

During interrogation, the doctors said paediatrician Dr Snehal Nyati helped them procure the fake certificates for an amount between ₹3 lakh ad ₹5 lakh. Nyati was arrested earlier in a similar case.