Rajasthan Police SOG Cracks Down on Foreign Medical Certificate Forgery Ring
The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has made significant headway in a major medical certification fraud case, arresting two graduates who allegedly obtained their medical degrees from abroad before submitting forged Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) certificates to secure internships from the Rajasthan Medical Council (RMC).
Mastermind Apprehended After International Manhunt
The primary accused, identified as Bhana Ram Mali alias Bhanu (30), was detained at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on February 2 and formally arrested the following day. Mali, an MBBS graduate from Kazakhstan, is considered the mastermind behind the elaborate scheme. Authorities revealed he had attempted to evade capture by traveling through multiple countries including Thailand, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Kazakhstan, and Nepal before being intercepted based on specific intelligence inputs about his movements.
According to additional director general (SOG) Vishal Bansal, Mali is a resident of Bar in Beawar district and was living in Jyoti Nagar, Jaipur at the time of his arrest. Investigators allege that Mali not only secured a forged FMGE certificate to gain a medical internship for himself but also systematically helped other foreign medical graduates acquire fraudulent certificates.
Second Accused Arrested from Dausa
The second individual arrested in connection with the case is Indraraj Singh Gurjar (27), who was taken into custody from Dausa on Thursday. Gurjar, who also obtained his MBBS degree from Kazakhstan, allegedly acquired a forged FMGE certificate dated December 2022 from Mali.
SOG officials stated that Gurjar used this counterfeit certificate to complete an internship at the Rajiv Gandhi Medical College in Alwar, subsequently receiving provisional registration. He is additionally accused of supplying forged FMGE certificates to other candidates in exchange for monetary compensation, further expanding the fraudulent network.
Expanding Investigation Reveals Extensive Network
These latest arrests are not isolated incidents. The SOG had previously arrested three other graduates with foreign medical degrees in December last year for similar offenses involving forged FMGE certificates. "Mali had absconded following these arrests," Bansal confirmed.
The SOG registered a fresh case in the matter on Wednesday, and intensive efforts are currently underway to verify potentially suspect FMGE certificates submitted by numerous other candidates to the Rajasthan Medical Council.
Bansal revealed that the investigation has uncovered an extensive network involving approximately 73 candidates who had earned their medical degrees overseas but failed to pass the mandatory FMGE test. These individuals subsequently produced forged FMGE certificates to apply for internships under the RMC, compromising medical standards and regulatory protocols.
Mandatory Examination for Foreign Medical Graduates
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is a compulsory requirement for Indian citizens with foreign medical degrees who wish to practice medicine in India. This screening test ensures that medical professionals educated abroad meet the necessary standards and qualifications required for medical practice within the country.
The current case highlights significant vulnerabilities in the certification verification process and raises serious concerns about the integrity of medical licensing procedures for foreign-educated practitioners seeking to work in Rajasthan's healthcare system.
