A tribunal has ordered Dr Asis Kumar to be removed from the medical register after finding he sexually harassed a junior female colleague while working as a consultant at Kingston Hospital. The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) ruled that his actions amounted to “very serious misconduct of a sexually predatory nature that persisted over four months and escalated over time”.
The incidents took place between May and September 2021. The tribunal found that Dr Kumar kissed the woman on the cheek, touched her stomach over her clothes and stroked her sides while hugging her. He was also found to have pulled down her face mask and pinched her cheek on one or more occasions.
Tribunal findings on conduct
Dr Kumar was found to have made inappropriate comments, including telling the woman “I will miss you so much” after she handed in her notice, along with words to the effect of “I love your smell” and “no, just you and me” when he invited her for dinner. On her last day, September 8, he was found to have pulled down her mask, pinched her cheek, placed his arm around her shoulders and said words to the effect of “you smell really lovely today, I love your smell”.
Later that day, the tribunal found, Dr Kumar asked her to come into his office, told her to put her chair next to his, kissed her on the cheek and asked her to hug him. He was also found to have stroked her sides during the hug and told her not to tell anyone he hugged her because of Covid.
Impact on the victim
The panel ruled that Dr Kumar’s behaviour amounted to sexual harassment and that he had abused his more senior position. The woman, referred to as Ms A in the MPTS report, said she felt “very embarrassed and scared around him and... was not sure how to react or stop this behaviour” and reported “finding it difficult to sleep or eat”.
The MPTS report stated: “Having found that Dr Kumar was in the habit of pulling down Ms A’s mask, touching or pinching her cheek, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her towards him when she was sat next to him, as well as kissing her a number of times, the tribunal was satisfied that his words and actions as a whole were of a sexual nature which would have the purpose or effect of violating Ms A’s dignity.”
The report added that his actions would have created an intimidating or hostile environment for Ms A to work in, particularly given her “very young age, the huge disparity in age between them and Dr Kumar’s seniority as a consultant”.
Sanction and next steps
Dr Kumar, who denied the core allegations, resigned from his position at Kingston Hospital in February 2022 and gave up his licence to practise a year later. The tribunal agreed his fitness to practise was impaired as a result of the misconduct.
Barrister Scott Ivill, representing Dr Kumar, said that while “this is not an isolated incident, the proven conduct could perhaps be properly described as an isolated episode in an otherwise unblemished career spanning more than 40 years”, according to the report. However, the tribunal found Dr Kumar had “limited insight” and decided to strike him from the register due to the “ongoing level of risk to public protection”.
Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Kingston Hospital, has been contacted for comment.
