Police in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, have announced a Rs 10,000 reward and put up posters as they search for a former block medical officer accused of working in the state health service for about 17 years on a forged MBBS degree, according to a report in Amar Ujala on 25 October.

Teams from 36 police stations are involved in the search. The accused has been absconding since Birsa police registered an FIR on 10 October under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 318(4), 336(3) and 340(2), which deal with cheating and forgery.

How the alleged fraud worked

According to the reports, the accused joined the health department in 2009 using documents that matched those of a genuine doctor posted elsewhere in the state: the same name, father's name, date of birth and a claimed MBBS from Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa. He was engaged as a contractual doctor, received four promotions and in 2023 became block medical officer of Birsa block.

Police say the man's real identity differs from the name he used in service. The genuine doctor whose details were allegedly copied appeared before the inquiry committee three times to establish his own credentials. Medical council records reportedly showed only a provisional registration and no permanent one.

The FIR followed a state-level inquiry that reportedly found both the degree and the registration to be forged. ETV Bharat reported earlier that around Rs 70 lakh in salary had been paid through online transfers since 2017, with earlier payments still being examined. An earlier departmental inquiry had reportedly given him a clean chit.

Why it matters

The case shows how a forged qualification can survive for years when appointments rely on photocopies and self-declared identity details instead of direct confirmation from the issuing university and the medical council. Opposition leaders in the state have asked how the lapse went unnoticed. The accused has not been convicted, and the allegations remain to be tested in court.

Checking a doctor's credentials

Employers can confirm a medical degree directly with the issuing university's examination branch and check registration status with the National Medical Commission's Indian Medical Register or the relevant state medical council. Matching the registration number to a photo ID, and re-verifying at each promotion, can expose a borrowed identity that a one-time document check may miss.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

Madhya Pradeshfake doctorMBBSidentity fraudhealth department

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