Rajasthan Police SOG Cracks Down on Medical Certificate Forgery Ring
In a significant development exposing vulnerabilities in India's medical registration system, the Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) has apprehended two graduates who obtained their medical degrees from abroad. The individuals are accused of procuring and submitting forged Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) certificates to secure internships from the Rajasthan Medical Council (RMC).
The Mandatory FMGE Examination
The FMGE serves as a critical screening test mandated by law for all Indian citizens who have completed their medical education overseas. This examination is compulsory for anyone wishing to practice medicine within India, ensuring that foreign-trained doctors meet the country's medical standards and competency requirements.
Mastermind Arrested After International Manhunt
The primary accused in this elaborate scheme has been identified as Bhana Ram Mali, also known as Bhanu, aged 30. Authorities consider him the orchestrator of the entire operation. An MBBS graduate from Kazakhstan, Mali was not only involved in securing a forged FMGE certificate for his own medical internship but also actively assisted other candidates in acquiring similar fraudulent documents.
According to Additional Director General (SOG) Vishal Bansal, Mali is a resident of Bar in Beawar district who had been residing in Jyoti Nagar, Jaipur. His arrest followed an extensive international pursuit. Mali had attempted to evade capture by traveling through multiple countries including Thailand, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Kazakhstan, and Nepal before being intercepted by SOG officials at New Delhi's airport on February 2nd. He was formally arrested the following day based on specific intelligence inputs regarding his movements.
Second Accused and Wider Network Uncovered
The second individual arrested in this case is Indraraj Singh Gurjar, aged 27, who was taken into custody from Dausa on Thursday. Like Mali, Gurjar completed his MBBS degree in Kazakhstan before allegedly obtaining a forged FMGE certificate dated December 2022 from Mali himself.
SOG officials revealed that Gurjar utilized this counterfeit certificate to complete an internship at Rajiv Gandhi Medical College in Alwar, subsequently receiving provisional registration. Furthermore, investigators allege that Gurjar was involved in supplying forged FMGE certificates to other candidates in exchange for monetary compensation.
Not an Isolated Incident
Additional Director General Bansal emphasized that these latest arrests are not isolated occurrences. The SOG had previously arrested three other graduates with foreign medical degrees in December of last year for similar offenses involving forged FMGE certificates. "Mali had absconded following these earlier arrests," Bansal confirmed.
The SOG registered a fresh case in the matter on Wednesday, and investigative efforts are currently focused on verifying potentially suspect FMGE certificates submitted by numerous other candidates. "Our investigation has revealed an extensive network involving approximately 73 candidates who had earned their medical degrees overseas but failed to pass the FMGE test," Bansal disclosed. "These individuals had subsequently produced forged FMGE certificates to apply for internships under the RMC."
The case highlights serious concerns about the integrity of medical registration processes and raises questions about how many improperly qualified practitioners might have entered the healthcare system through such fraudulent means. Authorities continue their investigation to identify all individuals involved in this widespread certificate forgery network.
