Explained: The Controversy Surrounding Gorakhpur AIIMS Director's Alleged Forgery of OBC Certificates

Gorakhpur- Dr. Gopal Krushna Pal, the Executive Director of AIIMS Gorakhpur and Patna, faces serious allegations of fraud. The Head of the Surgery Department at AIIMS Gorakhpur, Dr. Gaurav Gupta, has filed a complaint with the police, accusing Dr. Pal of falsifying OBC certificates for his son and daughter to secure admissions under the reserved category.

According to the complaint, Dr. Pal, who belongs to the general category (Thakur), manipulated his children’s OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) status, falsely declaring their annual family income as ₹8 lakhs instead of their actual ₹80-90 lakhs. Dr. Gupta has demanded that an FIR be filed against Dr. Pal, his wife Prabhati Pal, and their son Oro Prakash Pal for their involvement in this fraudulent activity.

The scandal erupted when it was discovered that Dr. Pal not only secured a fraudulent OBC certificate for his son Oro Prakash’s admission into the MD-PG course in the Microbiology Department at AIIMS Gorakhpur in April 2024, but also for his daughter’s appointment as a Senior Resident at AIIMS Patna in the Forensic Medicine Department. The forged certificates falsely declared the family’s annual income to be below ₹8 lakhs, the eligibility threshold for OBC Non-Creamy Layer status.

In reality, Dr. Pal is the Executive Director of AIIMS Gorakhpur and Patna, and his wife, Prabhati Pal, is a professor in Puducherry. Together, their combined annual income exceeds ₹80-90 lakhs, which disqualifies their children from availing of Non-Creamy Layer benefits.

The complaint further revealed that Oro Prakash Pal had submitted a sworn affidavit claiming his family’s income was below the ₹8 lakh threshold, based on which he was granted admission. However, when the truth about the family's actual income surfaced, Oro Prakash's admission was swiftly canceled, citing "personal reasons."

According to a news report in Dainik Bhaskar, the controversy has sent shockwaves through both Gorakhpur and Patna AIIMS, prompting an immediate investigation. AIIMS media in-charge Arup Mohanty initially dismissed the allegations as baseless and attempted to downplay the issue. However, as the controversy grew, AIIMS administration began exploring legal action and considering filing a case against Dr. Pal and his family.

Despite the growing uproar, Dr. Pal has remained out of public view. He was scheduled to visit Gorakhpur on Tuesday but canceled his trip following the exposure of the scandal.

This is not the first time AIIMS Gorakhpur has been embroiled in allegations of fraud. In January, the institution's first director, Surekha Kishore, was removed from her position following accusations that she facilitated her sons' appointments as Junior Residents.

Dr. Gaurav Gupta, the whistle blower in the current case, has also raised concerns about other instances of fraudulent OBC certificates being used for admissions. In his complaint, Dr. Gupta argued that the seat reserved for OBC Non-Creamy Layer candidates was taken away from a deserving student due to Dr. Pal’s fraudulent actions. He has filed complaints with the Ministry of Health and the Chief Minister’s portal.

Dr. Gopal Krishna Pal, the accused Director, responded to a media house by claiming that the allegations were motivated by personal vendettas. He stated that Dr. Gupta was making these accusations because he had not been promoted and was attempting to exert pressure for career advancement. Dr. Pal also alleged that Dr. Gupta and his wife were facing serious accusations themselves, which he had been investigating, and that these accusations were an attempt to prevent him from taking action against them.