Jabalpur/Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A fake doctor, appointed as a medical officer at Jabalpur Medical Hospital, was treating patients for over a year using fraudulent credentials. The accused not only practiced medicine illegally but also obtained a salary from his employers.

The petitioner, who filed a case against the accused, alleged that for over one and a half years, the accused had been putting patients lives at risk. Moreover, he alleged that multiple complaints were filed with the police, but no action was taken until the case reached the court.

According to information, the accused, identified as Shubham Awasthi, is a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur city. According to sources, Awasthi secured the post of a medical officer by submitting a fake BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) degree, allegedly issued by Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur. He falsely claimed to have studied at Government Ayurvedic College, Jabalpur. Moreover, he misused an existing registration number (56970) from the Madhya Pradesh Ayurveda and Unani Medical Board, Bhopal, to authenticate his credentials.

Despite complaints filed with the police, no action was taken until the matter reached the court. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Palak Srivastava, considering the seriousness of the offence, ordered an FIR against Awasthi under charges of fraud, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. The police have been directed to complete their investigation and submit a report by April 5.