An Indian American doctor’s medical license was permanently revoked in USA for ‘illegally recruit, conceal and harbour two women from India to be household servants for low pay’, as per the final consent order by the New Jersey Office of Attorney General.

The accused, Dr Harsha Sahni practiced in Colonia, New Jersey, as rheumatologist, pleaded guilty to the charges of harbouring illegal immigrants and filing false tax return. 

Apart from her license being revoked, she is also facing a 27-month prison, as ordered by the federal court in October 2024.

“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,” stated the order.

It stated that Sahni admitted to knowing that the victims were in the country illegally, and harboured the victims for financial gain. She also made them believe that they would be arrested and deported if they talked to 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,” the consent order said. 

Sahni also instructed the two women to tell immigration officers that they were Sahni’s family members and were in the USA for tourism.

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

The State alleged that Sahni had paid roughly $240-$600 a month to one of the woman’s family in India, for which she worked at Sahni’s home from approximately 7 am to 10 pm daily.

In 2016, Shani, to get one of the women’s dental treatment done, had lied that the women was abused by her husband, to get the domestic violence charity’s money.

“Sahni also allegedly prevented Victim 1 from receiving treatment for a life-threatening brain aneurysm.  According to the Verified Complaint, when Victim 1 began developing headaches following an auto accident in 2014, Sahni told the woman that rest was not permitted and if Victim 1 had a headache she should take Tylenol and complete her work,” noted the letter. 

“As the headaches worsened, Sahni allegedly told Victim 1 that seeing a doctor would be too expensive and since Victim 1 did not have any paperwork showing she was in the United States legally, she could not be treated.  Sahni allegedly treated Victim 1’s increasingly severe headaches with Tylenol and unidentified pain medications until 2021, when the headaches became debilitating and threatened to keep Victim 1 from performing her daily work,” it said.

“At this time, Sahni finally brought Victim 1 to an emergency room where she falsely presented herself as Victim 1’s sister and served as her translator, according to allegations contained in the Verified Complaint.  When a CT Scan of Victim 1’s head revealed an unruptured aneurysm in her brain, doctors advised Victim 1—through Sahni—that immediate surgery was indicated and that failure to do so could lead to Victim 1’s death,” added the letter.  

However, even then, the statement read that “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.”

For her charges, Sahni was sentenced to 27 months in prison, and to pay restitution of $7,28,327, and an additional $2,00,000 for specific bills.