New Jersey, USA: Dr. Harsha Sahni, an Indian-American rheumatologist from Colonia, New Jersey, has had her medical license permanently revoked after pleading guilty to exploiting two Indian women as household servants under illegal conditions. Sahni, who admitted to recruiting the women as undocumented immigrants and paying them extremely low wages, subjected them to financial abuse and forced labor.
In February 2024, Sahni pleaded guilty to federal charges, including conspiracy to harbor and conceal undocumented immigrants and filing a false tax return. She was sentenced to 27 months in prison, set to begin in October 2024. Her medical practice had already been temporarily suspended in September 2023.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin condemned Sahni's actions, stating that revoking her license was necessary to protect the public. The Division of Consumer Affairs emphasized that Sahni's exploitation of women violated the ethical standards of the medical profession. Sahni also failed to report the women's labor on her tax returns, despite employing them under false pretenses.
Sahni had forced one of the women to work extensive hours each day for minimal pay, sending money to her family in India.
