Dr. Harsha Sahni, an Indian-American rheumatologist from Colonia, New Jersey, has had her medical license permanently revoked and will soon begin serving a 27-month prison sentence. She pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to conceal and harbor undocumented individuals and filing a false tax return.
Dr. Sahni was found guilty of illegally recruiting and harboring two Indian women to work as household servants for meagre pay, well below the legal wage. According to the investigation, Sahni provided the women with food, clothing, and housing but paid them between $240 to $600 per month, sending this amount to their families in India.
The women, identified as victim 1 and victim 2 in legal documents, worked from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., enduring exploitation under the threat of deportation if they interacted with law enforcement.
Sahni admitted to instructing the women to conceal their identities and falsely claim to immigration officials that they were visiting family members. She also failed to disclose their labor on her personal tax returns and evaded paying taxes for their employment.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin condemned her actions, stating, “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.”
Cari Fais, Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, added, “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. 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.”
Dr. Sahni’s medical license had been temporarily suspended in September 2023, following administrative action by the state. In October 2024, a federal court sentenced her to 27 months in prison, a punishment that she will now serve.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of ethical conduct within the medical profession and the severe consequences of exploiting vulnerable individuals for personal gain.
