Doctor performed examinations not clinically justified, says tribunal
A Toronto healthcare specialist has had his licence revoked after Ontario’s medical discipline tribunal found he was incompetent, repeatedly violated consent rules and exposed patients to an “unacceptable risk of harm,” despite years of warnings and remedial measures.
The Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal (OPSDT) ruled on Jan. 28, 2026 that Ashwin Rajan Maharaj:
- contravened terms and conditions of his practice
- committed “an act or omission that is disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional"
- failed to maintain the profession’s standard of practice, demonstrated incompetence
- breached the Medicine Act, the Regulated Health Professions Act and related regulations.
Penalties imposed were a formal reprimand and revocation of his certificate of registration.
Unnecessary and non-evidence‑based care
In its decision, the tribunal found that Maharaj performed anorectal examinations that were not clinically justified, including examinations under anaesthesia.
The tribunal said Maharaj “is incompetent and exposed his patients to harm through his proctology and gastroenterology practice.” Maharaj pleaded no contest to the disciplinary charges, allowing the tribunal to proceed to findings and penalty without a full evidentiary hearing, CTV News reported.
The panel also concluded that he misdiagnosed patients and carried out procedures that lacked an evidence base.
“You misdiagnosed patients and proceeded to carry out unwarranted procedures, including treatments that are neither recognized, accepted nor evidence based. You demonstrated a lack of knowledge in your statements about anatomy and treatment options,” the tribunal said, as reported by CTV News.
Consent, documentation and privacy breaches
The OPSDT found that Maharaj failed to obtain proper informed consent, including relying on broad authorisations before diagnosing patients and then deciding on and performing procedures while they were sedated. The tribunal said he obtained “blanket consent before examination and diagnosis, then determined and performed procedures while patients were sedated, without obtaining consent for the specific treatment delivered,” according to CTV News.
The decision stated: “This approach fell alarmingly short of the standard of practice and compromised your patients’ ability to make informed decisions about their health care. Your documentation was not accurate, complete or comprehensive and fell below the standard of practice.”
The tribunal also found serious breaches of privacy and record‑keeping rules. It held that Maharaj “failed to properly store and destroy patient photographs, including sensitive and graphic images, and [shared] sensitive personal health information, including treatment videos, with another patient without patient consent,” the panel wrote, according to CTV News. “In doing so, you demonstrated a profound disregard for patients’ highly sensitive personal health information and breached the College’s policies on medical records, privacy and professional conduct.”
Previously, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) fired one worker for improperly accessing a patient’s medical record, according to a CBC report.
Regulatory records show that concerns about Maharaj’s practice spanned more than two decades. The tribunal ordered Maharaj to pay $6,000 in costs to the college by Feb. 27, according to the report.
Previously, the OPSDT ordered the revocation of the registration certificate of a doctor found to have sexually abused a patient while taking advantage of his vulnerability both as a patient and as a person.
