The Upparpet police on Friday booked an FIR against an official of the Karnataka Ayurvedic and Unani Practitioners Board for issuing fake registration certificates and helping many get licences to open clinics.

A senior police official said the FIR has been registered based on a complaint by Dr Venkataramaiah, registrar of the Karnataka Ayurvedic and Unani Practitioners Board,  against Abarkar Vinayak Subhash (54).

The police are verifying the documents and the accused is yet to be arrested.

In the complaint, Venkataramaiah said Subhash worked as the registrar between January 2016 and August 2018 when he enrolled many as Ayurvedic and Unani practitioners by forging signatures and issuing certificates.

Many who received the fake certificates from Subhash belong to Bengaluru and other districts. The official forged signatures of senior medical officers by receiving bribes to issue the certificates to people who have opened clinics and hospitals.

‘Registry manipulated’

Subhash also manipulated the registry to strike out names of genuine practitioners and added the quacks. He went a step further by getting them licences to practice in their own clinics and hospitals.

The Upparpet police have issued a notification to Subhash to appear before the investigating officer with all relevant documents.

They will verify the papers and, if his guilt is determined, Subhash will be arrested.