Bogus Caste Certificate Scam for MBBS Admissions: Senior Pulmonologist arrested from Index Medical College

Mumbai: A fugitive Pulmonologist, who was working at the Index Medical College; has been arrested by the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) of Mumbai crime branch in connection with the fake caste certificate scam for securing MBBS admissions.

It has been reported that the 65-year-old doctor was the mastermind behind the scam which was exposed over 7 years ago and was wanted in several cases of cheating and forgery.

The doctor, identified as a Pulmonologist; and his gang allegedly procured fake caste validity certificates for students who wanted to secure MBBS admission to medical colleges in the reserved category. Nearly 50 cases have been registered against this gang in 2012, across Maharashtra. Even the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against him in which he is still a wanted accused.

In Mumbai, at least three cases of cheating and forgery were registered against him at JJ Marg police station, two cases at Agripada station and one each at Bhoiwada, Nagpada, Sion, Kherwadi.

He was also named in cases registered in Dhule and Kolhapur, apart from one case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The Pulmonologist was earlier arrested for allegedly providing fake caste validity certificates to several MBBS aspirants, however, he managed to acquire bail soon after, reports the Free Press Journal.

After gaining bail, the doctor escaped and remained untraceable until recently when CIU officials got a tip-off that he was working at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh. The probe led the police to Index Medical College in Indore.

However, the police did not want to alert him before his identity could be confirmed. Thus, to nab the doctor, Assistant Police Inspector got himself admitted into the hospital under a false name, pretending to be ailing, while a constable accompanied him as his 'father', reports PTI.

The "father" requested a nurse to call a chest specialist urgently, saying his "son" was serious.

The nurse fetched the accused doctor, who was on duty at that time. He was immediately arrested by a waiting police team.

Further probe is on.