A doctor who was using forged qualifications has been found and he has been sentenced to more than a year in prison.

Balaji Varatharaju, 29, a Singapore national, was working as a doctor in the Alice Springs Hospital for nine months. But he used forged qualifications to obtain the job.

The medical staff in the hospital got suspicious about his inadequate knowledge and he was reported. The case was heard in the Northern Territory Supreme Court. The court came to know after further investigations that the doctor had forged his medical qualification from the Adelaide University. He was also found guilty of an aggravated assault on a patient.

The doctor admitted his mistake and also pleaded guilty to the charges of aggravated assault.

But the defence lawyer claimed that the doctor was not motivated by money. He claimed that the doctor only wanted to help people and was also remorseful for his behavior.

The judge presiding over the case stressed that the doctor breached the faith of his patients as well as the medical board. She also severely criticized the actions of the doctor and pointed that he indulged in actions which require considerable confidence and audacity. The judge felt that the actions of the doctor cannot be condoned given the critical nature of his job.