Chennai,  The Tamil Nadu Medical Council has advised registered medical doctors from the state not to issue certificates to strangers as several doctors have lost their license to practice after issuing certificates based on fake Id papers.

The medical council in an advisory to doctors said the certificates issued by doctors were misused for registering properties.

The advisory cautioned doctors that "on several occasions, an impersonator fixes his own photo with the name of a dead person or another person and walk in with fake IDs. He forges the signature and gets the certificate."

The council in its advisory to the doctors pointed out that in the past two years it has received several complaints of doctors issuing certificates to persons who have impersonated as dead persons. The registration of these doctors was suspended and prevented from practicing medicine.

The advisory states, "Hence the certificate shall not be issued to unknown persons brought by known persons like relatives or friends -- with or without ID's."

The medical council pointed out that life certificate was not a medical certificate but one of determining identity that was issued to pensioners and for purpose of registration of documents to confirm if the person is still alive.

The same rule applies to issue of conduct certificates.

The advisory says that the conduct certificate should be issued by a Group-A officer only if the certifying officer personally knows the person.

The document should provide details of identification mark or signature or left thumb impression of the person concerned and affix passport size photograph with signature.