US gynecologist charged with sexual abuse and performing unnecessary procedures | Tennessee

A gynecologist who is accused of sexually abusing four women in Memphis, Tennessee, and reused unsanitary medical devices in unnecessary procedures was arrested on Friday.

Sanjeev Kumar, 44, was charged with sexual abuse, medical fraud and illicitly reusing unsanitary medical devices after he enticed four women to travel across state lines to his clinic, where he subjected them to sexual abuse under the guise of medical procedures.

Kumar’s arrest adds to a spate of cases in the US involving medical physicians being at least accused of violating patients in their most vulnerable moments.

Between 2019 and 2024, Kumar allegedly performed unnecessary gynecologic procedures using medical devices that were kept in unsanitary conditions and improperly reused, with some designated for single use or requiring sterilization.

According to the indictment authorities obtained against him, the 44-year-old Kumar did not inform patients about this practice before inserting the devices during procedures. Kumar, who worked at the Poplar Avenue Clinic, then billed the federal Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs for hysteroscopy biopsy services as if the treatments were medically necessary – and as if he had used new or properly sterilized equipment.

A hysteroscopy is a procedure used to examine the inside of the uterus, which involves inserting a thin, lighted tube through the vagina and cervix into the uterus, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

“Kumar was consistently the top-paid provider in Tennessee for Medicare and Medicaid for hysteroscopy biopsy services, and he profited substantially from these criminal acts,” said the acting US attorney for the western district of Tennessee, Reagan Fondren. “The allegations indicate that Kumar acted as a predator in a white coat and used the cover of conducting medical examinations to put his patients at risk and enrich himself.”

The special agent in charge of the FBI’s Nashville field office, Joseph E Carrico, said that there may be additional victims.

“It is important to remember nothing Dr Kumar has done was, or ever will be, your fault,” Carrico said. “We see time and time again that voices matter, and those who have stepped forward have empowered others to do the same.”