Mumbai: Denying relief, a sessions court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to a 38-year-old doctor accused of submitting fake documents to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to falsely claim an additional qualification of ‘Diploma in Child Health’ from the College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPS). The court observed that his actions were contrary to the honour and integrity expected in the medical profession.
Additional sessions judge Anil D Salunkhe, in his order rejecting the plea, noted that the accused had not only deceived the MMC but also misled the public and violated legal norms.
“So, considering the seriousness of the alleged incidents, the role played by the accused and its consequences, according to me, his custodial interrogation is necessary,” the judge said, quotes TOI.
The judge further said the crime was registered on Aug 12, 2021, and the record shows that Maharashtra Medical Council made an inquiry and found him guilty of not only submitting the fake certificate for additional qualification registration but also holding it as true before an inquiry committee.
According to the TOI report, the alleged fraud led to the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against the doctor at the Agripada police station. The charges include offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), encompassing cheating, forgery, forgery of valuable security, and using a forged document as genuine. TOI reports that the informant, a manager from the Maharashtra Medical Council, alleged upon scrutinizing the submitted documents, the state medical council staff found discrepancies in the signing authority’s signature from the College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPS). CPS confirmed that they had not issued the certificate.
In his defence, the doctor’s counsel argued that despite the crime being registered in 2021, the investigative authorities had not found sufficient evidence against him nor had they arrested him. “However, recently the police started to call him unnecessarily and harassing him,” the lawyer submitted, adding that the doctor has always been ready to cooperate with the police in the investigation, reports the Daily.
“The investigation is related to documentary evidence. The applicant is a practising medical officer. The certificate is also not within the scope of valuable security,” the lawyer submitted.
However, opposing the bail plea, public prosecutor Siroya contended that the Maharashtra Medical Council had already suspended the accused doctor’s medical license for one year following their inquiry, which confirmed the fraudulent nature of the certificate. The prosecution further stressed that his actions were not just a violation of the law but also posed a threat to public health safety, emphasizing the severity of the crime against public trust in the healthcare system.
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