Pilibhit: In yet another shocking case of medical quackery, a man has been booked for allegedly posing as a doctor and practising medicine with a fake MBBS degree at a private hospital in Bilsanda town of Pilibhit district, Uttar Pradesh.
The accused, identified as Arvind Kumar, a resident of Rajhaua village in Shahjahanpur district, came under investigation after a botched cataract surgery on a 61-year-old farmer, Krishna, reportedly caused severe damage to his eye.
Following the incident, Dr Chhatra Pal, the medical officer in charge of Bilsanda Community Health Centre, filed a complaint against the fake doctor, leading to the registration of a case on September 24.
Degree Verification Exposes Fraud
Arvind Kumar’s fake credentials were exposed after the Shahjahanpur Sadar Circle Officer wrote to Pilibhit Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Alok Kumar, seeking verification of his medical degree and flagging a similar case involving the same individual earlier this year.
Upon receiving the letter, the CMO sought verification from the Uttar Pradesh Medical Council (UPMC), which confirmed that the accused was not registered as a medical practitioner.
“A verification letter was sent to the registrar of the Uttar Pradesh Medical Council on September 8. In response, the council reported that no registration for Arvind Kumar dated July 24, 2023, existed in their records,” said Dr Alok Kumar while speaking to TOI.
Legal Action and Police Investigation
Based on the verification report, the police registered a case against the accused under BNS Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonesty), 336(3) (forgery), and Section 15 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 for impersonating a registered medical practitioner.
When health and police officials went to seal the hospital premises, Arvind Kumar allegedly locked the main gate and fled the scene. Authorities later pasted a public notice outside the building, declaring that the doctor’s degree was fake and that the hospital was operating illegally.
The CMO has directed that strict legal and administrative action be taken to prevent such fraudulent practices that put patients’ lives at risk.
