A former gynaecologist has been found guilty after he carried out a series of sexual assaults on women during their medical examinations.
Mahash Vidyadhar Patwardhan, 53, assaulted four women at two hospitals in south-east London between 2008 and 2012.
Today he was convicted at Woolwich Crown Court for crimes committed while he worked at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich and Blackheath Hospital in Lewisham.
On each occasion, the women attended the hospitals for medical consultations.
Detectives said Patwardhan abused his position of trust and used it as an opportunity to sexually assault his patients.
He was struck off the medical register in October 2014 following a General Medical Council hearing which found charges against him in relation to three victims.
A fourth came forward to detectives from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command upon hearing he had been suspended.
Further victims came forward as a result of the publicity surrounding the hearing.
Patwardhan was arrested at Heathrow Airport in November 2014 when he returned to the UK from India.
He was charged in September last year with six counts of sexual assault and one count of fraud. Another charge of fraud was added in May.
He was found guilty of making false claims to insurance companies for procedures he had not carried out on two of his victims.
Detective Constable Mark Azariah, from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command at Lewisham, said: “Patwardhan is a highly manipulative individual; having used his position of trust and authority to pray on the victims' under his medical care; believing that they would be too embarrassed to report such offences to police.
“Thankfully he was mistaken and I commend the victims for their courage in speaking out despite the sensitivity surrounding their personal medical concerns.
“I hope that today's result and the fact he is no longer a practising doctor brings them some comfort and peace of mind in what has been a traumatic ordeal.
“It is hoped that this result will reassure other vulnerable victims of crime that the police take all allegations of crime very seriously and will work effortlessly to see that justice prevails."
