Mumbai doctor seeks revocation of suspension in birth certificate irregularities case

Mumbai: Following his suspension over alleged irregularities in the issuance of birth certificates, a Medical Officer of Health (MOH) from Mumbai has written to the civic administration seeking revocation of the action, claiming that the allegations against him are false and that the decision was taken before the inquiry was completed.

This is the first instance in the ongoing probe in which a suspended medical officer has formally challenged the investigation.

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In a letter addressed to Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Sharma, the doctor stated that he had served across multiple wards and also functioned as a sub-registrar for birth and death registrations. He denied issuing any illegal birth or death certificates or providing unlawful assistance in any case.

Responding to findings from a recent internal probe, which flagged unauthorised corrections in birth and death records, the officer said there is no civic directive prohibiting corrections in the SAP system. The report had alleged that some MOHs were making changes in both the Civil Registration System portal and the older SAP platform, which reportedly violates guidelines issued by the Registrar General of India.

The probe allegedly found that more than 87,000 corrections were carried out through the SAP system between 2024 and 2026, of which 30,507 were done in 2024, and over 49,000 in 2025. In light of the findings, BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide on Thursday approved the reform plan that called for the suspension of MHOs in L (Kurla) and E (Byculla) wards. Previously, the BMC had suspended two MHOs and two birth registration clerks in the M/East ward while cancelling 237 certificates on the CRS portal. According to officials, an independent inquiry has been launched to ascertain violations in the L ward. The plan also recommends an investigation of birth-death registration cases across the 24 wards by the civic vigilance department, reports the Indian Express.

Alleging that he was being unfairly targeted, the doctor said, “Any woman who comes to a govt or BMC hospital is attended to by doctors, and deliveries are conducted as per our medical oath. We cannot discriminate against patients based on religion or nationality. There is no agency at any govt or private hospital that verifies whether parents are Indian citizens or from another country. The same documents submitted by hospitals are forwarded to the MOH office for the issuance of a birth certificate. There is also no agency at the MOH office that re-checks the nationality of parents. The MOH issues birth certificates based on the documents received. In such a system, why is the MOH being targeted or suspended on the basis of false charges related to fake certificates? It is the responsibility of the police to verify the nationality of individuals, not BMC doctors, who are already handling multiple responsibilities,” reports TOI.

Meanwhile, the BMC is also planning to restructure the responsibilities of MOHs, senior medical officers, and the District Registrar's Office staff to ensure better workload distribution.

The action comes amid intensified enforcement against undocumented immigrants following directives issued in February by the newly appointed mayor, who ordered the removal of alleged illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya hawkers from city streets.

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