TRENTON, NJ (TIP): Dr. Harsha Sahni, an Indian American rheumatologist from Colonia, New Jersey, has permanently lost her medical license and is facing a 27-month federal prison sentence for harboring two undocumented women from India as household servants for low wages.

The New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners announced the revocation of Dr. Sahni’s license on Wednesday following her guilty plea earlier this year to charges of conspiracy and filing a false tax return. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin called Sahni’s actions a betrayal of her professional and ethical responsibilities.
Dr. Sahni’s license had been suspended since September 2023. The State Board determined that her actions, which included exploiting vulnerable women and evading taxes, demonstrated a severe lack of judgment and moral character.
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 approximately 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 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 misrepresented Victim 1’s income, housing, and employment status, resulting in Victim 1 receiving services for a reduced fee from another charity.
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. 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. 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.
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.
Sahni was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court on October 28, 2024. In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Sahni to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $728,327. Sahni must also pay up to $200,000 for specific medical bills.