Doctor facing sex charges has N.B. ties

An Ontario doctor facing sexual assault charges in Toronto also has ties to New Brunswick.

Dr. Suganthan Kayilasanathan and another Toronto-area doctor are accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel.

Kayilasanathan, 32, trained and worked as a family doctor in Saint John, and is still licensed in the province.

"He's been licensed here, first as a resident in training from 2007 to 2009 and then afterwards as a family physician in Saint John up until now, until the present," said Dr. Ed Schollenberg, the registrar for the New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons — the provincial licensing and regulatory body for doctors.

Kayilasanathan and Amitabh Chauhan are charged with gang sexual assault and administering a noxious substance.

Police allege they met a woman at a hotel bar in Toronto on Feb. 13, took her to another bar, gave her an unknown substance, then took her back to the hotel and sexually assaulted her.

Kayilasanathan works as a family doctor at a clinic in Scarborough.

Although Kayilasanathan is still licensed in New Brunswick, he no longer has hospital privileges because he didn't apply for the annual renewal last June, Horizon Health Network officials said.

Without privileges, a doctor can't bill Medicare, order tests, or admit patients.

Still, Schollenberg said he is investigating to determine what, if any, action to take against Kayilasanathan.

He said he'll also be watching to see what his counterparts in Ontario do.

Kayilasanathan and his co-accused have been released on $100,000 bail each.Under the terms of their release, they can both still practise, but can't prescribe drugs.

They are scheduled to be back in court on March 14.