A formal complaint has been lodged with the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate in Kolkata against senior officials of the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC), alleging a sustained rise in fraudulent doctor registrations in the state between 2017 and 2025. The complaint was filed by Rajeev Pandey, secretary of the Association of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes (APHN), on 15 September 2026, seeking a police investigation into the council's conduct.

Who Has Been Named

The complaint names several senior WBMC figures, including council president Sudipta Roy, secretary Sushanta Roy, registrar Manas Chakraborty, and council member and former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Nirmal Maji, among others. Separately, Kaushik Chaki, president of the West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF), has also reportedly approached the police, and several other medical bodies are said to be considering similar action.

The Core Allegations

APHN contends that the WBMC, which is responsible for verifying medical credentials and preventing unqualified individuals from entering practice, failed to discharge this duty over an extended period. According to the association, warnings from district health authorities about fake practitioners went unheeded by the council. The organisation further alleged that some individuals posing as doctors not only practised medicine illegally but also secured enrolments under the state government's Swasthya Sathi health scheme.

Many of the accused reportedly claimed to have graduated from medical colleges outside West Bengal before obtaining permission to practise in the state — a process, critics argue, that should have involved rigorous scrutiny by the council. APHN has also alleged that attempts were made to remove or destroy relevant documents from the council office, a charge the council leadership has strongly denied.

The Council's Response

Council president Sudipta Roy pushed back firmly against the allegations, stating that the current council assumed charge only in November 2022 and questioned why it was being held responsible for events that allegedly predated its tenure. Roy denied any attempt to tamper with records, asserting that electronic copies of all documents are maintained. He suggested the allegations were politically motivated.

APHN Stands Its Ground

Rajeev Pandey countered Roy's defence, maintaining that a number of the registrations now under scrutiny were issued in 2023, 2024, and 2025 — squarely within the current council's watch. Pandey argued that the council must answer for the alleged irregularities regardless of when the broader problem began. In his complaint, he requested police to examine whether the irregular registrations could have occurred without the knowledge or patronage of the named officials.

Broader Implications

The complaint marks a significant escalation in scrutiny over West Bengal's medical registration system. If the allegations are substantiated, they would point to systemic failures in credential verification, with potential public health consequences given that unqualified practitioners may have been treating patients under a state-backed scheme. The episode also places the WBMC at the centre of a political and regulatory storm, with multiple medical bodies now reportedly aligning to demand accountability. How the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate responds to the complaint will be closely watched by medical professionals and patient advocacy groups across the state.