Nashik rural police busts gang procuring fake medical certificate for police personnel, 2 arrested

An officer involved in the investigation said that the incident came to light on August 1 when a constable from Mumbai Police applied for posting in Nashik rural. He had submitted a medical certificate from Nashik civil hospital and claimed that someone from his family was suffering from a serious ailment.

The certificate had some discrepancies, and an inquiry was ordered to verify the authenticity, which found the documents to be forged.

Sachin Patil, SP, Nashik Rural Police, said, “After we went through the certificate, it was mentioned that a person underwent surgery during the Covid-19 pandemic. We then cross-examined the claim as there were no surgeries taking place at that time following which the whole scandal came to light.”

Police registered a case of cheating and forgery on August 14 and investigations revealed that Kanoj was involved in facilitating the means of creating these certificates. She was arrested.

“She was giving an idea to police personnel as to how to seek favourable posting and take advantage of government schemes through these means,” said Patil.

Kanoj would then send them to Gangurde, who was working in the civil hospital, and he would further facilitate the means to create the medical certificates. Gangurde would make these certificates of critical illnesses and take signatures of additional civil surgeons, added Patil.

The investigation found added that the personnel have submitted certificates of those hospitals that do not have any facility for conducting operations or have been shut down.

“The roles of three additional civil surgeons, two from Nashik and one from Dhule, are under scrutiny as they have verified these certificates. However, they are currently untraceable,” said the SP.

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When asked about the reason for making these bogus certificates, Patil said, “We are trying to ascertain the exact reason, but so far, we have understood that they did this to get inter-district transfers to get posting close to their native place. At instances where a close family member is ill, the department approves the request and personnel have also done this to avail other government benefits.”

Police have learnt that the scamsters charged around Rs 1 lakh to make a bogus medical certificate from a government hospital.

“More than 25 personnel submitted such certificates made through this group. We believe that government servants working with other departments have also made certificates from them and availed benefits,” added Patil.