The man had faked certificates and was running a hospital; all the paraphernalia was in place, but his lack of medical education proved hard to hide.
Published Jan 11, 2025 | 10:05 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 11, 2025 | 10:05 AM
Dr L Ravinder Reddy, it turned out, was no doctor at all. He was at a hospital, and he had a consultation table, a prescription pad, and a stethoscope. His façade crumbled, however, because other doctors grew suspicious and tipped off Telangana police.
Mulakala Ravinder in Kamareddy town had been posing as a general physician at New Star Hospital, under the alias Dr L. Ravinder Reddy. He had been treating patients for several months, and he created fake medical certificates to show, in case the need arose.
Ravinder drew the attention of other doctors due to the nature of his prescriptions. Under the title “Dr. L. Ravinder Reddy, MBBS, MD (General Medicine),” he prominently displayed “Physician and Diabetologist” in bold letters. His registration number: 93117.
He prescribed a wide range of medications.
Prescription. (Supplied)
“One of my colleagues called me to express concern about a particular prescription that seemed suspicious. My colleague suspected that the man making such a prescription could not be a qualified doctor. As medical professionals, we can often gauge the authenticity of a prescription by the drugs listed and the clinical findings noted. These details usually indicate whether it is issued by an RMP (rural medical practitioner), a general physician, or a specialist,” said Dr. E Arvind Kumar, secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kamareddy.
A few doctors had been alerted to the odd prescriptions when the fake doctor moved elsewhere after working in Kamareddy for a few months; he returned recently.
“We approached him under the guise of a membership drive of IMA. We explained the importance of joining the association to maintain professional integrity, and briefed him about the rising presence of unqualified individuals in hospitals. He had never been part of the IMA,” Dr Kumar told South First.
The IMA conducts membership drives, but joining is not mandatory since it is not a legal regulatory body.
“It’s more of a professional organisation that advocates for the rights of doctors. Being part of the IMA can be beneficial because it provides a unified platform for support and security, especially in situations where patients may become confrontational with doctors. Having this kind of professional network is advantageous for both protection and representation,” said Dr Kumar.
Dr Kumar said that when other doctors wished to know more about his training and education, his behaviour changed. “His behaviour, language and body language raised doubts about his credentials. He claimed to have studied in Mahabubnagar, starting in 2011 and finishing in 2015.
However, completing an MBBS degree typically requires 5.5 years, not 4.5. Further discrepancies emerged when he said he completed his post-graduation by 2018, which did not align with the registration timeline he mentioned. It became clear that he was fabricating details to fill gaps in his story. These inconsistencies confirmed our suspicions,” said Dr Kumar.
IMA Kamareddy contacted Dr Kiran Kumar, a member of the Telangana State Medical Council (TGSMC) who practices in Banswada town, to verify the suspect’s registration details.
Original and Fake Degree. (Supplied)
Upon checking, the registration number was found to belong to Dr L. Ravinder Reddy, a legitimate DNB paediatrician.
“The accused had forged both the registration details and the photograph, altering them to suit his identity. While the real Dr L. Ravinder Reddy is a DNB paediatrician, this individual was pretending to be an MD general physician and had also manipulated those credentials,” said Dr G Srinivas, vice chairman, Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) to South First.
“We conducted an inspection and searched our Telangana Medical Council registry. We found no record of M. Ravinder as a registered doctor. Instead, we identified Dr L. Ravinder Reddy as a legitimate paediatrician. Given these findings, we officially reported the case to the police. They registered an FIR against him based on our complaint,” said Dr Srinivas.
The same day, Dr Kumar lodged a complaint at the police station. “The following day, I submitted a formal letter to the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO), and they initiated the investigation. It’s not enough to just accuse someone; we must follow proper protocol. Officials came to the hospital, conducted a thorough inspection, and collected all relevant details from him,” said Dr Kumar.
“M. Ravinder is a physiotherapist, but he has been falsely claiming to be an MD in general medicine and practicing as physician in Kamareddy district for the past two years,” said Dr Srinivas.
The fake doctor, M Ravinder, presented fraudulent credentials to Dr. Imamuddin, a licensed dentist, and managed to have New Star Hospital registered under Dr. Imamuddin’s name.
New Star Hospital. (Supplied)
“New Star Hospital is officially registered under Dr. Imamuddin, a licensed dentist. In such hospitals, it’s common for specialists or other medical professionals to collaborate and provide services. The accused likely approached Dr Imamuddin using forged documents. Trusting these false credentials, Dr. Imamuddin may have offered him a position without realising the deception,” explained Dr. Kumar.
The other names listed on the hospital board were of real doctors, who had no idea their names were used on the board.
“Although the hospital listed names like Dr P Naresh, Dr Shaik Maqbool Ali, and Dr N Abhishek Reddy, — all of whom are qualified doctors — their names and credentials were misused without consent. The accused used these names fraudulently to legitimise his practice,” said Dr Srinivas.
While Dr Kumar said that the infrastructure of the hospital was good — clean and well-maintained — the primary concern was to investigate the authenticity of this so-called doctor, not the hospital itself.
The hospital registration was valid, and Dr. Imamuddin had followed the correct procedures under DMHO regulations. “Our primary focus was determining whether the doctor was genuine or fraudulent,” explained Dr Arvind.
On 8 January, the police filed a First Information Report (FIR) following complaints from the TGMC under section Sections 318(4) (cheating), 338 (forgery of valuable security, will), Section 336(3) (forgery), 340(2) (Forging electronic document), and 319(2) (cheating by impersonating) of BNS Act.
The fake doctor was arrested by Kamareddy district police and has been sent to judicial remand.
“This is a concerning case, similar to previous incidents we’ve dealt with, including cases in Secunderabad where individuals practised medicine using forged certificates or the credentials of other doctors. This case of M. Ravinder is one of a fake doctor, posing a serious threat to public health.
TGMC has filed around 400 cases against unqualified individuals, but this malpractice jeopardises lives more than those of quacks. Claiming to be a qualified doctor without proper credentials is a crime, and we remain vigilant,” Dr Srinivas said.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas)
