Forged degrees sold to Andhra, Gujarat doctors

MUMBAI:DR Snehal Nyati, 46, the Nasik-based paediatrician who was arrested by city police for his involvement in the fake College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) postgraduate (PG) certificate scam, had also sold fake degrees to doctors in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, police sources told Hindustan Times.

Nyati, who was arrested on Saturday, allegedly provided fake certificates to 57 doctors seeking specialisation in general surgery, gynaecology, and orthopaedics. Since these doctors failed the CPS examination, the accused provided them with fake PG and diploma certificates at prices ranging from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh. All the accused doctors submitted these fake certificates to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) as part of the registration process to get a license to practice. After their malpractice surfaced, all of them were suspended under the MMC Act.

“These 57 doctors, who belong to the year 2015-2016 batch of CPS, are from various districts of Maharashtra and some of them are from neighbouring Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. For the sake of the registration procedure, doctors from other states would submit the MMC registration with the local medical councils,” said a police officer privy to the probe.

Earlier, Nyati allegedly sold fake certificates to around 20 doctors who belong to CPS batch of 2014-2015. Bhoiwada police had investigated the case after the duped doctors filed a complaint. Nyati was arrested but managed to secure anticipatory bail.

“We are scrutinising records of every year before 2015 to check if other doctors have also submitted bogus certificates,” said MMC president, Dr Shivkumar Utture.

“Arrested accused Nyati is the one who would approach students but possibilities cannot be ruled out of the involvement of other senior doctors. Police should get to the root of the crime to stop it forever and all culprits should be brought to book.” Meanwhile, the Agripada police have made a second arrest

in the case on Monday. The accused allegedly helped Nyati arrange the counterfeit documents after the latter would convince a failed student to purchase a fake certificate.

“The medical students would give the accused their original CPS certificates, and Nyati would then change the result from ‘fail’ to ‘pass’,” said a police source, adding that this modus operandi indicates the possible involvement of any CPS insider. “Interrogation of the second accused could reveal the involvement of an insider,” said the source.

The police probe revealed that Nyati himself had failed his medical exams during one attempt. However, his father, a renowned doctor in Nashik, helped him study and clear the exam. After passing, Nyati worked in Rajawadi hospital from 2009 to 2014.

“The main accused told us that he is just a middleman and was involved in the illegal practice for a commission of around ₹ 25,000 per case, however, we are not buying his claims,” said inspector Jaydeep Gaikwad of Agripada police station.

Nyati has been booked under sections 465, 467, 468, 471, 420, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and is in police custody till November 16.