Surajya Abhiyan exposes laxity in Sassoon Hospital fake certificate scam investigation

• Possibility of ineligible persons enjoying government benefits using fake disability certificate in the state

• Enquiry committee yet to submit report even after 2 years

• Hindu Janajagruti Samiti’s Surajya Abhiyan Coordinator Shri. Abhishek Murukate’s exposé through RTI

Mumbai : A shocking case of fake disability certificates being issued by some officials of the Orthopedic Department of Sassoon Hospital in Pune had come to light in May 2022. The government constituted a three-member committee in June 2022 to probe the matter. 2 years have elapsed but the investigation report has not been disclosed. Shri. Abhishek Murukate, Surajya Abhiyan activist filed an RTI enquiry which revealed this information. This raises the question whether the guilty medical officers are being secretly aided in this case.

On behalf of the government, the ministry of Medical Education also sent letters to the Commissioner of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research on 2 occasions (in July and October 2022) to ‘submit an enquiry report on this matter’. But the enquiry report is yet to be submitted. In this case, the first complaint has been filed by the Prahar Association of MLA Bachchu Kadu to the ministry of Medical Education Department. Based on this complaint, the ministry of Medical Education wrote to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research on June 1, 2022, instructing them to re-verify the fake certificates. The commissioner has also been directed to appoint a committee to inquire into the matter and submit the names of the officials who issued fake certificates. However, RTI has revealed that no further action has been initiated regarding this serious case.

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Debates in the Assembly, but no action !

Pune BJP MLA Madhuri Misal and MLA Sunil Kamble raised a starred question in the Legislative Assembly on August 18, 2022. While replying to this question, the then Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan said that it is true that the fake certificates were issued in Sassoon Hospital. However, no action has been taken in this matter despite the issue being raised in the assembly.

Govt hospitals hand out govt jobs without verifying certificates

Disability benefits under government schemes are expected to be rolled out only after verification of disability certificate issued by private or aided hospitals. However, the enquiry has also revealed the mismanagement of disability certificates by government hospitals. Therefore, the government has also instructed the commissioner to start the process of re-verification of the certificates. In view of this situation, it has been expressed the possibility that other private or aided hospitals in the state, including Pune, have given fake certificates to ineligible persons to get them the benefits of various schemes for the disabled.

The scam

Persons with 40 percent or more disabilities are accorded reservation benefits in government jobs and government schemes. Some Medical Officers of the Sassoon Hospital’s Orthopedic Department lured disabled persons who came to them with the promise of government jobs, fleeced them and issued fake certificates which inflated their disability.

The deserving are deprived of facilities! – Surajya Abhiyan

Mr Abhishek Murukate

Surajya Abhiyan has complained about this to the Minister of Medical Education and the Commissioner of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research on May 8. It is extremely distressing that even after 2 years there is no enquiry on a sensitive subject like persons with disabilities. Those disabled people who are ineligible are availing government jobs or government facilities by obtaining fake certificates while depriving the deserving of these opportunities. Therefore, Surajya Abhiyan demands that the investigation should be overseen, completed immediately and stringent action should be taken against the culprits.