Indian American doctor’s license revoked for harbouring two Indian women

Dr Harsha Sahni forced undocumented women to work as household servants for 15 hours a day for $240 to $600 a month

By Arun Kumar

The medical license of an Indian American physician in New Jersey has been permanently revoked for illegally recruiting and harbouring two undocumented Indian women as household servants for up to 15 hours a day for low pay.

Dr Harsha Sahni, who maintained a rheumatology practice in Colonia, pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to conceal and harbour aliens and filing a false tax return last February, according to a press release from the office of attorney general Matthew J Platkin and the division of consumer affairs.

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She is scheduled to begin serving a 27-month prison sentence handed down by a federal court judge in October 2024. In addition to the prison term, Sahni was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $728,327. Sahni must also pay up to $200,000 for specific medical bills.

Sahni has been temporarily suspended from the practice of medicine since September 2023, as the State pursued an administrative action to revoke her license in the wake of her criminal plea.

The State, in its administrative complaint, alleged that Sahni’s crimes, and her actions in perpetrating them, violated professional standards, demonstrated an appalling lack of judgment and moral character, and are of a nature such that her continued licensure would be inconsistent with the public’s health, safety, and welfare.

In a final consent order filed with the Board Jan 7, Sahni has agreed to resolve the allegations by surrendering her license which will be deemed a permanent revocation.

In pleading guilty in federal court in February, Sahni admitted she knew the women—identified in filed documents as Victim 1 and Victim 2—were in the country illegally and that she harbored them for financial gain and caused them both to believe that they would be arrested and deported if they interacted with law enforcement.

Sahni admitted she provided the victims food, clothing, and housing and harbored them to work as housekeepers at a price less than what she would have had to pay housekeepers had she employed them legally. Sahni further admitted to instructing the women to tell immigration officials that they were members of her family and in the United States for tourism, knowing that was not true.

And despite the fact that the women were household employees, Sahni admitted in court that she did not pay taxes related to their labor and did not disclose the labor performed by the victims on her personal income tax return.

In a Verified Complaint and other documents filed with the Board, the State alleged that Sahni required Victim 1, who resided in the doctor’s home, to work from 7 am to 10 pm for roughly $240 to $600 a month, which Sahni paid to Victim 1’s family in India.

Additionally, the State alleged that Sahni defrauded various entities into providing free and reduced-cost medical care to Victim 1. In 2016, Sahni falsely claimed that Victim 1 had been abused by her husband to scam a domestic violence charity into providing Victim 1 with free dental treatment.

Knowing that Victim 1 could not speak, read, or write English, Sahni allegedly completed the entire charity application form, including those portions which were to be completed and verified by the patient.

Sahni identified herself as a medical professional on the charity’s “Advocate Form,” listing her medical office’s address and phone number, and signing a certification confirming that she believed Victim 1’s dental problems were the result of domestic violence.

Based upon the application allegedly falsely certified by Sahni, Victim 1 was treated by a volunteer dentist who was not compensated for his work. The value of the donated services was $6,000.

Sahni allegedly perpetrated a similar scam against the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey’s Community Health Center when she misrepresented Victim 1’s income, housing, and employment status, resulting in Victim 1 receiving services for a reduced fee.

Sahni also allegedly prevented Victim 1 from receiving treatment for a life-threatening brain aneurysm.The State alleged that even with her medical knowledge and sworn Hippocratic oath, Sahni put her own needs before a medically compromised person by encouraging Victim 1 to leave the hospital against medical advice. Once home, Sahni allegedly required Victim 1 to work the rest of the evening, completing her regular tasks.