Mumbai: Senior inspector suspended for wrongful arrest of doctor accused of forging medical degrees

Senior Inspector Ravindra Katkar of Worli Police Station has been suspended following allegations of procedural misconduct in the arrest of a Vile Parle-based doctor.

Police sources revealed that the offence in question was bailable and did not justify immediate arrest, raising serious concerns over the legality of the action taken by the officer.

The incident surfaced last month when a 24-year-old man from Chembur lodged a complaint against Dr Atul Wankhede, alleging that the physician had prescribed him painkillers for chronic back pain, which subsequently led to a worsening of his condition. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant had first consulted Dr Wankhede in November 2024.

When the patient failed to experience relief after taking the prescribed medication, he sought a second opinion at Poddar Hospital in Worli. There, a staff member allegedly informed him that Dr Wankhede’s master’s degree was forged and that he was practising medicine illegally. Following this, the complainant wrote to the Maharashtra Medical Council and discovered that several similar complaints had previously been lodged against the same doctor. The FIR further alleges that Dr Wankhede also forged his MBBS degree certificate from KEM Hospital in Pune.

“The incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Vile Parle Police, and the offence alleged is bailable,” a senior police official told Mid-Day. “According to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, if the prescribed punishment for an offence is less than seven years, the police cannot arrest the accused outright—they must first serve a notice to appear and cooperate with the investigation. In this case, the officer bypassed due process by arresting the accused without proper authorisation from his seniors.”

The arrest took place on 26 April, when a team from Worli Police Station picked up Dr Wankhede from his residence in Juhu, allegedly acting on a tip-off that he was planning to flee the country.

Dr Wankhede was produced before the Dadar Metropolitan Magistrate Court on 29 April and granted bail upon furnishing a cash bond of Rs 50,000.

According to senior officials in the Mumbai Police, the unauthorised arrest angered senior leadership. “The suspension order was issued by top IPS officers, who viewed the inspector’s actions as a clear breach of protocol and jurisdictional overreach. A departmental enquiry has been launched, and he will remain suspended pending the outcome,” a senior IPS officer said.

Despite multiple calls from Mid-Day, Inspector Katkar remained unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, a separate inquiry has been initiated into the alleged forging of Dr Wankhede’s medical qualifications.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!