Indian-American doctor indicted for sexually assaulting patients
Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 May, 2023 12:50 PM
New York, May 8 (IANS) An Indian-origin primary care physician in US' Georgia has been accused of sexually assaulting four of his female patients during routine check-ups over a 12-month period.
Rajesh Motibhai Patel, 68, was indicted last week on multiple counts of violating his patients' constitutional right to bodily integrity while acting under colour of law and for engaging in unwanted sexual contact, a Department of Justice release said.
According to information presented in court, between 2019 and 2020, Patel, a physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Decatur, allegedly assaulted four of his female patients by touching them improperly during routine exams. Investigators believe that Patel may have victimised additional patients.
"Patel allegedly sexually abused his female patients and violated his oath to do no harm to patients under his care," US Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said.
"Veterans and their families expect and deserve the highest quality of healthcare delivered in a safe and accountable setting," Veteran Affairs Inspector General Michael J. Missal said.
He said that the department has been cooperating the law enforcement to ensure the safety of patients.
India is working out evacuation plans for Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine through Romania, Hungary and Poland. The Foreign Secretary also stated that flight options will available from Dubai and Istanbul and the Indian Embassy continues to be operational in Ukraine.
The Madhya Pradesh government said on Friday that 46 students from the state who registered with the Chief Minister's helpline are safe in Ukraine. However, it is not known exactly how many students from the state are stranded in the war-hit country.
The announcement came shortly after President Vladimir Putin authorised a "special military operation" in the conflict-hit Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Flights to Kiev, Dnepr, Lvov and Odessa airports "are restricted due to potential hazard for civil aviation
The United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday that the situation was quickly deteriorating after Russia's invasion. It appealed to neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to people seeking a safe haven.
There are an estimated 25,000 Indian students in Ukraine alone who are pursuing medicine, engineering, and science courses. More than 2,500 students from Tamil Nadu are estimated to be studying in Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary stated that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has spoken to his Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, and Slovakian counterparts for setting up a camp at border areas for evacuation of stranded Indian nationals. He also stated that flight options are available through Dubai and Istanbul and that the Indian Embassy continues to be operational in Ukraine.
