Fake doc, his wife go underground as Virar cops file cheating case

Sunil Wadkar and his wife Dr Arti Wadkar. Pics/Hanif Patel

Sunil Wadkar, who fraudulently acquired the post of civic medical chief in Vasai Virar sans a medical degree, has gone underground along with his dentist wife Dr Arti Wadkar, after a cheating case was registered against him, said Suresh Varhade, in-charge of Virar police station. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) of Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) Pankaj Patil gave a complaint against the Wadkar couple after the civic body learnt that he had submitted forged documents to get the post and Dr Arti Wadkar, who was a contractor and used to get medical practitioners to work in civic hospitals, helped him.

"We learnt about the Wadkar episode after reading newspaper reports. We scanned our documents and files related to his enrollment as a medical officer. Dr Arti was a contractor in the municipal corporation and she helped Sunil get the coveted post," said Patil. "I have submitted a complaint against the couple at Virar police station and a case has been registered," he added.

Highway Hospital in Virar East

Varhade said, "We conducted raids at the locations of the Wadkar couple but they were not there. They have gone underground. Our investigation is underway and teams are working to arrest them."

Sunil, who used to run Highway Hospital in Virar East, was arrested after Taluka Health Officer Dr Yojana Jadhav alleged that he did not have an MBBS degree and the Maharashtra Medical Council registration number, which he was using, belonged to another doctor. Sunil successfully secured bail after spending a few days in Thane jail. "Non-submission of crucial pieces of evidence in court made it easy for Sunil to get bail," said a source.

The source further said that many illegal works were conducted at Highway Hospital and a lot of senior government medical practitioners were under the scanner of the police in the case. This is the third FIR against Sunil and the second against the couple. They have also been booked under a theft case after a colleague alleged they stole her jewellery. Sunil has also been found to be a history-sheeter, who was previously arrested in sexual assault cases registered by his colleague.

A source said, "Many crucial pieces of evidence have not been collected, like the CCTV footage from the hospital premises. There were many medicines at the hospital, which require licence but no FDA officers were informed. Wadkar also owned another hospital in Nalasopara and one polyclinic in Vasai but police are yet to raid these premises. Many doctors working at these units left for their hometowns after the police conducted raids at Highway Hospital."