HIGH COURT OUTLAWS GANTS HILL GP FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT DURING CONSULTATION
A Gants Hill general practitioner, Dr Varaha Konathala, was involved in a serious misconduct case concerning an incident where he inappropriately touched a woman's breasts during a consultation.The woman, in her twenties, accused Dr Konathala of pushing her breasts out of her bra and squeezing them while she was at Kenwood Medical Centre discussing ankle pain.
She described his actions as “really creepy and strange,” noting that it did not feel like a normal medical examination.
Despite denying the allegations and the police taking no further action, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) found on the balance of probabilities that he had touched her breasts with sexual motives.
The tribunal suspended him for one year, but subsequent legal proceedings led a High Court judge to determine that his behavior was a "deliberate and opportunistic sexual assault," inherently incompatible with medical practice.
Justice Timothy Mould ruled that his conduct was an abuse of trust, undertaken for sexual gratification, and was not compatible with continued registration as a doctor.
The court decided to quash his suspension and is considering whether to remove his name from the medical register permanently, effectively banning him from practicing medicine.
The incident was initially reported when the woman, referred to as Patient A, attended the clinic for ankle pain and subsequently sought contraception.
She reported feeling numb and uncomfortable during the incident, which she described as “so uncomfortable what had happened,” and only left when he appeared to be about to do something inappropriate.
Dr Konathala denied touching her breasts or other areas and claimed he did not examine her in the manner alleged.
The tribunal concluded his explanations were implausible and initially suspended him.
He was allowed to return to practice after serving his suspension but remains under legal review for possible erasure from the medical register.
The case highlights serious concerns about sexual misconduct by healthcare professionals and the legal system’s ongoing role in ensuring accountability.
