Maharashtra's Nodal Cyber Police have arrested a man from Nashik accused of helping foreign medical graduates who had not cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) obtain registration with the state medical council using forged documents, Medical Dialogues reported on 10 October, citing The Times of India.

Police allege the man charged Rs 20-25 lakh per candidate, kept a commission and passed the rest to associates in Bhopal and Delhi who allegedly arranged forged registration certificates. Those associates had not been traced, according to the report.

How the case surfaced

The FMGE, conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, must be cleared by most Indians with overseas medical degrees before they can practise in India. According to Medical Dialogues, the matter came to light on 7 August, when council staff noticed suspicious documents in the online profiles of some applicants. The council's registrar then reviewed the profiles of candidates who had not passed the FMGE but held temporary registration, and reported finding fake or suspicious papers in 22 of them. Wider verification flagged more than 30 such candidates.

The documents allegedly included fake FMGE scorecards, provisional registration certificates and internship completion certificates. A case was registered at the Nodal Cyber Police Station in Mumbai under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, The420.in reported.

Arrests so far

Earlier this month two foreign medical graduates, among the 22 named in the complaint, were arrested; police say they had failed the FMGE but held registration certificates. Police said their questioning led investigators to the Nashik man. Earlier reports had described a Nashik-based operative accused of arranging fake documents for around 15 to 20 applicants. Reports have not made clear whether that operative and the man arrested this week are the same person. None of the accused has been convicted, and police say they are examining bank transactions, devices and system logs.

Maharashtra Cyber has warned graduates against intermediaries who claim they can bypass the screening test or arrange registration informally.

Checking a doctor's registration

Hospitals and patients can check a doctor's registration on the National Medical Commission's Indian Medical Register and with the state medical council. For foreign medical graduates, employers can ask for the FMGE pass certificate and confirm it with the National Board of Examinations rather than accepting a copy at face value.

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.

FMGEMaharashtra Medical CouncilForeign Medical GraduatesCyber PoliceForgery

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