Final Consent Order

TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced today that the State Board of Medical Examiners has permanently revoked the medical license of a Central Jersey physician facing 27 months in federal prison for conspiring with others to illegally recruit, conceal, and harbor two women from India to be household servants for low pay.  

Dr. Harsha Sahni, who maintained a rheumatology practice in Colonia, pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to conceal and harbor aliens and filing a false tax return last February.  She is scheduled to begin serving a 27-month prison sentence handed down by a federal court judge in October 2024.

Sahni has been temporarily suspended from the practice of medicine since September 2023, as the State pursued an administrative action to revoke her license in the wake of her criminal plea.  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.  In a final consent order filed with the Board today, Sahni has agreed to resolve the allegations by surrendering her license which will be deemed a permanent revocation.

“The revocation announced today brings closure to a disturbing case in which a physician sworn to uphold the highest standards of care and compassion exploited and abused vulnerable victims for her own financial gain,” said Attorney General Platkin.  “There is no place in the medical profession for this kind of criminal conduct and utter disregard for humanity.”

“Dr. Sahni’s treatment of the women she illegally harbored as cheap labor for her and her family violated the most basic rules of the medical profession and caused her victims unimaginable suffering,” said Cari Fais, Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.  “Only the permanent revocation of her medical license could adequately protect New Jersey and its residents from the dangers she posed as a practicing physician.”

In pleading guilty in federal court in February, Sahni admitted she knew the women—identified in filed documents as Victim 1 and Victim 2—were in the country illegally and that she harbored them for financial gain and caused them both to believe that they would be arrested and deported if they interacted with 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.  Sahni further admitted to instructing the women to tell immigration officials that they were members of her family and in the United States for tourism, knowing that was not true.  And despite the fact that the women were household employees, Sahni admitted in court that she did not pay taxes related to their labor and did not disclose the labor performed by the victims on her personal income tax return.

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 perpetrated a similar scam against the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey’s Community Health Center when she misrepresented Victim 1’s income, housing, and employment status, resulting in Victim 1 receiving services for a reduced fee.

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.

The matter before the Board was investigated by the Enforcement Bureau within the Division of Consumer Affairs.

Deputy Attorney General Kate J. Calendar, under the supervision of Professional Boards Prosecution Section Chief Doreen Hafner, within the Division of Law’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Practice Group, is representing the State in the matter before the Board.

Patients who believe that they have been treated by a licensed health care professional in an inappropriate manner can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504- 6200.

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