Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, on Thursday handed over a youth to police for allegedly posing as a new doctor in the cardiology ward without formal appointment and a joining letter.
While the state-run hospital has charged that the 28-year-old native of Saharsa, Bihar, was impersonating a doctor who had actually cleared an interview last month, accused Akhilesh Kumar claims he has an MS degree from AIIMS and had received a call, purportedly from the Jharkhand health department, last week, asking him to join RIMS.
Police are tight-lipped, citing investigations.
According to acting RIMS director Dr S.K. Choudhary, the "imposter" was caught when he failed to show his joining letter, which is given to every new appointee to a doctor's post.
"He (Akhilesh) was trying to take the place of one Dr Rupesh Kumar who was selected in June. I was myself present at the interview at Nepal House. This man (Akhilesh) I saw in the hospital (RIMS) on a couple of occasions with Dr Hemant Narayan (head of cardiology). My suspicions (that he is an imposter) were confirmed when he could not produce his joining letter and said he had left it at his nana's (grandfather's) house in Ashok Nagar (Ranchi)," Choudhary said.
On his way to Bariatu thana, the accused rubbished the director's allegations and claimed that Choudhary and others were forcing him to confess that he was impersonating one Dr Rupesh Kumar.
"I never heard the name (Rupesh) before I came here (RIMS). True, I had met Dr Narayan on July 13, but he had no role in my appointment," Akhilesh told reporters and hinted at a "conspiracy".
"I completed my MBBS from Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi in 2002 and then did my MS from AIIMS. I had applied for the post of assistant professor at RIMS and was to appear for an interview last month, but missed it. On July 10, I received a call from Ranchi and was asked if I was still interested in joining RIMS. When I said I did not appear in the interview, the person asked me to come (to RIMS) and he would arrange my joining," the accused said.
He added that he did not ask the caller's name thinking he was someone from the Jharkhand health department. "I reached here on July 13 and a relative in Ashok Nagar who I call nanaji arranged my stay at Hotel Aditya near RIMS. I met Dr Narayan and he introduced me to Dr Choudhary. It was all a conspiracy."
Akhilesh, however, could not furnish even photocopies of his MBBS/MS certificates. When asked why he wasn't carrying his certificates to a new job, the youth clammed up.
The Telegraph contacted his parents in Saharsa. "My son is indeed a doctor from AIIMS. I am very confused. I do not know how to react to the situation," said father Shiv Narayan Sharan.
Head of RIMS cardiology Dr Narayan admitted having met Akhilesh on Monday. "The boy came to me and said he had joined the cardiothoracic wing. I was expecting new doctors, selected last month, to join around this time, so I did not doubt him. I showed him the department and took him to Dr Choudhary day before yesterday (Tuesday). I remember he wanted to see some equipment, but the head nurse sought his joining letter. He complained to me, but I said he must first report his joining to the director. Now, I got to know he was not from the list of selected doctors," Dr Narayan said.
Bariatu OC Ramanuj Verma said they had detained the youth after a complaint from RIMS and an FIR would be lodged. "The matter is under investigation and we are first trying to verify whether he is a doctor at all. We have seized his belongings from the hotel, which had some documents. We will verify them," he added and refused to comment further.
Who should be blamed for such incidents of trespassing? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com