Sangli: A 29-year-old foreign medical graduate has been arrested for submitting fake MCI registration certificate, NBE mark sheet and Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) screening test passing certificate to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and for practicing on the basis of the forged documents.

Dhiraj Ramchandra Patil completed his MD in Medicine from International Higher School of Medicine, the International University of Kyrgyzstan in 2012.

According to the MCI norms, an entrance examination – Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE or MCI screening exam) – is necessary for all foreign medical graduates (FMGs) in order to be able to practice in India. It is conducted by the National Board of Examinations twice a year and on clearing the exam, medical graduates from foreign universities can practice in India.

In 2014, Patil submitted an MCI registration certificate, an NBE mark sheet and screening test pass certificate of 2012 to the MMC, and he was issued an MMC license number based on these documents, thus allowing him to practice in the state.

The issue came to light in 2016 when another doctor in the state was found to be registered under the same MCI registration number. The State Medical Council contacted the MCI and NBE and following investigation, it was discovered that the registration number mentioned in the MCI certificate submitted by Patil was issued to one Dr Magar. Other certificates, including his FMGE test results, were also found to be fake. The NBE certificate also came under scrutiny when it was found that two members had the same roll number.

Dr Shivkumar Utture, President of MMC, said that they received two applications with the same NBE roll number. Both the NBE and the MCI confirmed that the certificates submitted by Patil were forged.

The MMC thus filed an FIR in the Agripada police station. The doctor was on the run since then but was arrested recently after a period of three years.