Three individuals posing as doctors at government-run Sanjeevani Clinics under the National Health Mission (NHM) have been arrested in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, after authorities discovered they had secured employment using forged MBBS degrees and fraudulent Medical Council registration certificates, police said on Sunday, 18 May. The accused had reportedly been treating unsuspecting patients at government health centres for nearly a year before the fraud came to light.

How the Fraud Was Uncovered

On 16 May, the Kotwali police station in Damoh received an investigative report from the office of the Chief Medical and Health Officer. The report flagged that Kumar Sachin Yadav, a resident of Gwalior, and Rajpal Gaur, a resident of Sehore, had submitted fabricated MBBS degrees and forged Medical Council certificates to obtain appointments at the Sanjeevani Clinic in Subhash Colony, Damoh. Document verification revealed multiple discrepancies, prompting police to register separate cases against both and initiate legal proceedings. Subsequent interrogation confirmed the certificates were forged.

Third Accused Nabbed in Jabalpur

During interrogation of the first two accused, the name of a third individual — Ajay Maurya — surfaced. Maurya was reportedly working at a Sanjeevani facility in Jabalpur on the basis of similarly forged documents. Police acted swiftly and took him into custody as well. All three are now being questioned to identify who supplied the counterfeit degrees and registration documents, and who facilitated their appointments within the NHM framework.

Earlier Incident Flags a Pattern

This is not an isolated case. Earlier, a doctor identified as N John Cam had been apprehended in Damoh for forging a cardiology post-graduate degree and performing surgery on patients. That case, combined with the latest arrests, points to what police describe as a vast network of forged credentials and fraudulent appointments that may extend across Madhya Pradesh. Investigators suspect the racket is far larger than the three individuals currently in custody.

Charges and Legal Action

The Kotwali Police Station has registered cases against the accused under Sections 318, 338, 336, and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Officials have described the case as not merely fraudulent but a grave threat to public health and safety, given that Sanjeevani Clinics serve as frontline healthcare facilities for ordinary citizens. Police are now actively searching for those involved in procuring and supplying fake credentials, as well as those who enabled these appointments within the system.

What Comes Next

Investigators have indicated that further major revelations are likely as the network is dismantled. The Madhya Pradesh Health Department and district administration are under pressure to conduct a statewide audit of credentials across all NHM-affiliated facilities. Officials acknowledged that had the fraud not been detected in time, it could have continued unchecked for far longer — with serious consequences for patients who received treatment from unqualified individuals.