Dr Konathala, who qualified in India in 1982 and moved to the UK in 2003, worked in Liverpool and London before becoming a senior GP partner at Kenwood Medical Centre in Gants Hill
Dr Varaha Konathala was earlier suspended by a Medical Tribunal. Representation Pic/istock
The High Court in London has ruled that Indian-origin doctor Varaha Konathala must be permanently struck off the medical register after sexually assaulting a patient. Initially, the Medical Tribunal (MPT) had suspended him for 12 months, but the General Medical Council (GMC) appealed, and the court overturned the decision. Justice Timothy Mould said Dr Konathala’s actions were not “compatible” with remaining a practising doctor.
Dr Konathala, who qualified in India in 1982 and moved to the UK in 2003, worked in Liverpool and London before becoming a senior GP partner at Kenwood Medical Centre in Gants Hill. In June 2019, a woman in her 20s visited him for ankle pain and requested contraception. During the appointment, he began a general health check, lifted her top, examined her chest and back, and then pushed her breasts out of her bra and squeezed them.
The patient later described his behaviour as “creepy” and “strange,” stating that “the way he was touching me did not feel like a doctor checking me.” She reported the matter to the Metropolitan Police, but no charges were filed due to lack of evidence. Her mother-in-law also filed a complaint with the GMC, prompting a tribunal hearing.
In February 2024, the MPT found it was a “single, isolated incident” and imposed a 12-month suspension. But on appeal, the High Court ruled the act was for sexual gratification without consent. Justice Mould agreed with the GMC that permanent erasure was appropriate.
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