Rajeev Kumar Pathak (right) pictured with his solicitor, Adrian McKenna of Hugo Law Group, outside the ACT Courts. Photo: Albert McKnight.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to alleged sexual abuse.
A Canberra cardiologist accused of rape will remain suspended from practising medicine due to a decision by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT).
Dr Rajeev Kumar Pathak is the director of Canberra Heart Rhythm, which has a clinic in the ACT, as well as South Coast Heart Rhythm in Broulee, NSW.
Earlier this year, he was arrested and accused of sexually, physically or indecently abusing four women employed by his clinic over several years.
He denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty.
After the 48-year-old was charged, the Medical Board of Australia suspended him from practising medicine.
Dr Pathak appealed this decision in ACAT. But late last month, Presidential Member Juliet Lucy confirmed the board’s decision, which meant his appeal failed.
“I have decided that suspension of [Dr Pathak’s] registration is reasonably necessary to address the serious risk posed by [him] to the public, and in the public interest,” she said.
She also ordered him to pay the board’s legal costs as agreed or assessed.
His lawyers had argued that none of the alleged offences were against his patients, and Presidential Member Lucy accepted that he had never been accused of behaving inappropriately towards a patient.
His lawyers also said he was entitled to the presumption of innocence, and there were significant risks to his patients’ health and safety if he were not allowed to practise as other practitioners with his specialised skills were unavailable.
But Presidential Member Lucy said if a doctor charged with serious sexual and physical assault offences was allowed to practise, the risk to public confidence was very significant.
“Once serious charges of that nature have been laid, the public would generally expect a practitioner to be suspended from practice whilst the charges are determined,” she said.
She thought it was reasonably necessary to suspend Dr Pathak, even though it may mean many patients will not receive the treatment they need.
The doctor, who remains on bail, has entered pleas of not guilty to his 20 charges.
These include six counts of assault, two counts of sexual intercourse without consent, seven counts of committing acts of indecency, two counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, as well as single counts of attempted sexual intercourse without consent and capturing visual data.
His case returns to the ACT Magistrates Court on 12 June.
He was initially refused bail when he was arrested and charged in January 2025, then spent about two weeks in custody before being granted bail the next month.
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.
Original Article published by Albert McKnight on Region Canberra.
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