Former block medical officer (BMO) of Birsa Community Health Centre in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, who held the post for the past 16 years, has been booked for securing the government employment using a fake MBBS degree, police said on Saturday.
The accused was posted at a primary health centre in Damoh and has been on leave since July. (Representational Photo/PTI)
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According to officials familiar with the matter, Sunil Singh, the former BMO, was removed from the post in June after a state health department inquiry found he had a fraudulent degree.
He was then posted at a primary health centre in Damoh, and has been on leave since July.
Balaghat has been in the news for the deaths of 32 children from the Baiga tribal community since May 18, of which seven died during Singh’s tenure.
On Friday, the Supreme Court termed the deaths “most unfortunate” while hearing a petition filed by a local resident and sought responses from the Centre, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments on providing compensation for the victims.
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The state government has attributed the deaths to Measles Rubella and Malaria and announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each for the bereaved families.
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The state government has attributed the deaths to Measles Rubella and Malaria and announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each for the bereaved families.
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Balaghat superintendent of police Aditya Mishra said: “The health department of Madhya Pradesh conducted an inquiry following a complaint filed about five months ago. The probe team found he had a fraudulent degree. The department issued an order on October 9 directing that an FIR be filed against him. Following which, the FIR was registered on Saturday.” A case was registered under Sections 318(4) (cheating), 340(2) (forged documents) and 336(3) (forgery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police said.
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.
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Home/India News/Former Madhya Pradesh health officer booked over fake MBBS degree after 16 years
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