By: Richard L. Smith
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Perth Amboy Police Chief Lawrence Cattano have announced new developments in a high-profile case involving a local doctor and his office manager.
Dr. Gurvindra Johal, a 56-year-old physician from Colonia, and his office manager, Rani Patel, 32, from Carteret, are facing additional charges after an extensive investigation.
The case, centered around Amboy Urgent Care in Perth Amboy, initially emerged following a woman's allegations that Dr. Johal had inappropriately touched her during her treatment.
Dr. Johal had already been charged with six counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of sexual assault. Meanwhile, Patel faced multiple charges, including obstruction, falsifying records, insurance fraud, and witness tampering.
County officials said a further investigation into these allegations uncovered a conspiracy between Johal and Patel.
They reportedly crafted a fraudulent letter to a victim's healthcare insurance company, aiming to obstruct the substantiation of the misconduct allegations against Johal.
The letter, accompanied by altered medical records of the victim, was submitted by Patel to strengthen their fraudulent claim.
On December 14, 2023, additional charges were laid against the duo. Dr. Johal was charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and hindering his own apprehension.
Patel was charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.
Following these charges, Johal was detained at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center, awaiting a pretrial detention hearing, while Patel was released after an initial court appearance.
Authorities emphasize that the investigation is active and ongoing, urging anyone with relevant information to contact Detective Lauren Leyva of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office Special Victim's Unit or Detective Gina Betancourt of the Perth Amboy Police Department.
It is important to note that these charges are mere accusations, and both Johal and Patel are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.