By: Richard L. Smith
Dr. Harsha Sahni, a Central Jersey rheumatologist, has had her medical license temporarily suspended following serious allegations of harboring and exploiting two women from India.
Sahni coerced the women into servitude and used her medical credentials to fraudulently obtain services for one of the victims, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Sahni was convicted in February on federal charges, including Conspiracy to Conceal and Harbor Aliens and Filing a False Tax Return.
She is awaiting sentencing in October. Meanwhile, an administrative action seeks to permanently revoke her medical license.
The state alleges that Sahni forced one of the victims to work up to 15 hours a day and manipulated medical services to deny her life-saving treatment for a brain aneurysm.
Sahni was also implicated in fraudulent schemes to obtain free or reduced-cost medical care for the victim.
"This conduct cannot be tolerated in the medical profession, as it places patients at risk and degrades the profession as a whole," said Cari Fais, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Under a plea agreement, Sahni faces up to 30 months in federal prison and will pay the victims a combined $642,212.
She will also pay up to $200,000 towards the treatment of the victim's aneurysm and restitution to the IRS.
Sahni's temporary license suspension will remain in effect pending further review.
