On Thursday, the lawyer for a doctor in Forrest City who is being accused of rape and sexual assault asked the Arkansas State Medical Board to let the doctor go back to work with some limits.
Instead, the board decided to wait to move until Dr. Sudesh Banaji’s charges were heard in court, which meant that he could not get what he wanted. Dr. Veryl Hodges made a move, and no objection could be heard.
Banaji has been a licensed doctor in Arkansas since 1999. Six felony counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one felony count of rape were brought against the internal medicine doctor by the Arkansas State Police in August.
Because of these claims, the medical board took away Banaji’s license and began an investigation in September.
A previous worker has also taken the doctor to civil court, saying that he or she sexually harassed them.
Banaji, who came with his lawyer on Thursday, didn’t have any specific ideas for what limits the board should put in place if they let him go back to practicing law. They said Banaji might only be able to see male patients or do it online.
“I’m not guilty, and if we needed to, we could have a mother figure or something for women up to 65,” Banaji said. “I just want the board to make a compassionate decision because that’s not who I am. I’d like to ask that I be allowed to give my patients the care they need and have been asking me to come back if I can.”
Banaji worked at Internal Medicine of Forrest City and was allowed to work at the Forrest City Medical Center.
This town in St. Francis County has about 12,000 people living in it. Members of the board pointed out how close it was to places like West Memphis and Jonesboro.
From his home in Mountain Home, Dr. Timothy Paden said that the area around Forrest City is not “extremely remote.”
“I don’t want people to think that the board doesn’t care about patient care,” Paden said.
Given how serious the charges were, board chair Dr. Edward “Ward” Gardner, who does not vote as a board member, was worried about letting Banaji go back to work.
He said, “The problem for us is getting people healthy, safe, and happy.” “We have serious charges against you here. We’re not doing what we’re supposed to do if something happens.
Dr. Veryl Hodges made a move to wait to act until Banaji’s charges are heard in court, and no one spoke out against it.
Banaji’s criminal charges will be heard in St. Francis County Circuit Court on January 27. In October, Banaji said he was not guilty.
