3 foreign-trained doctors held in fake cert racket

Jaipur: The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan police Sunday arrested three foreign medical graduates who collectively paid an alleged Rs 74 lakh for forged screening exam certificates that enabled them to secure internships at govt medical colleges and obtain registration with the Rajasthan Medical Council (RMC).

All three had completed their MBBS degrees in Kazakhstan, but failed to clear the mandatory Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) screening examination required to practise medicine in India, the SOG said.

The accused have been identified as Deepak Yadav (28) of Chomu, Raju Gurjar (28) of Deeg district, and Naresh Gurjar (30) of Kathumar in Alwar district.

According to investigators, the three obtained forged FMG certificates through an organised network and used them to gain entry into govt medical colleges for internship, before securing registration with the RMC.

The arrests are the latest in a widening probe that has exposed what investigators describe as a large-scale fake certification racket involving foreign medical graduates, middlemen and Rajasthan Medical Council officials.

SOG officials said Yadav paid Rs 24 lakh for a forged FMG certificate after repeatedly failing the screening examination. He subsequently secured an internship at the Government Medical College in Dausa.

Naresh, likewise, is accused of paying Rs 23 lakh for a similar certificate and completed his internship at the Government Medical College, Alwar. Investigators claim he later helped several other candidates obtain forged certificates through the network.

Raju is accused of paying Rs 27 lakh for a forged FMG certificate, which he then used to secure an internship at the Government Medical College in Hanumangarh, the officials added.

IG (SOG) Ajay Pal Lamba said the investigation so far has led to the identification of more than 100 doctors who procured forged FMG certificates and used them to secure internships and RMC registration.

Investigators suspect the racket was operated with the connivance of officials and employees within the RMC.

The case has already led to the arrest of former RMC registrar Rajesh Sharma, UDC Akhilesh Mathur, LDC Farhan Hasan, the alleged mastermind of the network, Bhanaram Mali, and 17 foreign medical graduates.

According to SOG, Bhanaram charged between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh per candidate to arrange forged FMG certificates and facilitate registration with the RMC.