New sex abuse claims over convicted GP
A Christchurch doctor has been found guilty of 12 sex offences against patients as police investigate further sexual misconduct claims against him.
The new complaints emerged during the trial of Rakesh Kumar Chawdhry last year. Stuff has also found evidence of possible sexual harassment of a woman by Chawdhry when he worked at a dental clinic in Auckland more than 10 years ago, and family and business connections with disgraced former Christchurch police officer Sanjeev Kala. Kala was convicted of a fraud-related charge in 2016.
Chawdhry pleaded not guilty to charges relating to 14 men he treated while working at the Riccarton Clinic between 2011 and 2015. His judge-alone trial ended in November. The men testified that Chawdhry groped or fondled them during a physical examination.
In the Christchurch District Court yesterday, Judge Jane Farish found Chawdhry guilty on 11 counts of indecent assault and on the sexual violation charge. She found him not guilty of four indecent assault charges.
Chawdhry was remanded in custody for sentencing on February 21. A jail term was ‘‘inevitable’’, the judge said.
Detective Senior Sergeant Neville Jenkins said police were examining several fresh complaints against Chawdhry that emerged after the trial started. They were of a similar nature to those heard in court, he said.
‘‘We would encourage anyone who may have had similar experiences, or concerns about their treatment by Dr Chawdhry, to come forward to police.’’
The first scrutiny of Chawdhry’s conduct came in 2016, when a man complained to the Medical Council that Chawdhry was sexually inappropriate towards him during a consultation. Police were unable to investigate because the complainant had not contacted them and privacy constraints prevented the Medical Council from sharing any information.
When Stuff reported the matter, two more men came forward, prompting police and the Riccarton Clinic to canvass hundreds more patients. A further 11 complainants were identified.
Further inquiries by Stuff have unearthed complaints about Chawdhry’s behaviour as far back as 2007. Police are now investigating. Chawdhry immigrated to New Zealand from India in 2003. Around 2005 he started work at the Dental World clinic in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, first as a receptionist, then as a manager.
‘‘He would grab, he would touch [other people at work],’’ Dental World director Marc Adams said. ‘‘At that stage I didn’t think anything of it.’’
Eventually, a dentist complained to Adams about Chawdhry’s behaviour. In an email from May 2007, seen by Stuff, she said Chawdhry sexually harassed her ‘‘many times’’:
A dental hygienist also complained about Chawdhry ‘‘touching, grabbing [and] groping’’ her, Adams said.
‘‘In a fun way, but actually now that we see it wasn’t.’’
Adams recalled a meeting with one dentist who lodged a complaint.
Chawdry quit Dental World soon after, Adams said.
‘‘He’s got two sides. A very good guy. Can put on a good facade. One side is a good person, the other side is a bad person and I tried to focus on the good person. But he had a bad streak in him.’’
Disgraced cop
Stuff has found connections between Chawdhry and disgraced former Christchurch police officer Sanjeev Kala.
In the late 2000s, Dental World hired a delivery driver – Kala – who doubled as an IT expert. Chawdhry brought him in. It is understood the pair are related.
Kala later became a police officer in Christchurch and, in 2016, was convicted of obtaining by deception after he duped a student into giving him $1000 to help reduce a dangerous driving punishment. Kala used the money to feed his gambling addiction.
Chawdhry and Kala have supported each other at court appearances. Chawdhry is a former director and shareholder of a company set up by Kala in 2010 – RSM Enterprise NZ Ltd.