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Twenty-seven former patients have filed a lawsuit against New Jersey physician Dr. Ritesh Kalra, alleging that he sexually abused, exploited and harassed patients over a period of years while using his authority as a medical provider, and, in some cases, control over prescription medications, to facilitate the alleged misconduct, Hudson County View reported.
The 13-count lawsuit was filed in Bergen County Superior Court Monday. All 27 plaintiffs are proceeding anonymously.
Kalra operated medical offices in Fair Lawn, Jersey City and Secaucus. According to the complaint, Kalra was already facing criminal allegations before the civil case was filed. Federal prosecutors charged him in July 2025 with prescribing opioids in exchange for sexual favors and defrauding Medicaid. New Jersey suspended his medical license the following month.
The civil lawsuit contains additional allegations from former patients who say Kalra engaged in unwanted sexual touching, exposed himself, coerced patients into sexual activity and disguised inappropriate contact as legitimate medical examinations.
Lawsuit Alleges Patients Were Exploited During Medical Care
According to the complaint, Kalra allegedly used the trust patients placed in him as their physician to engage in sexual misconduct during appointments.
The plaintiffs accuse him of touching patients sexually without consent, making explicit comments and engaging in conduct unrelated to legitimate medical treatment.
One plaintiff identified as G.S. alleges that she visited Kalra in 2023 for an upper respiratory and sinus infection. According to the lawsuit, Kalra touched her breasts while examining her breathing and made a sexual comment about her body.
The complaint alleges that after she rejected his advance, he told her that cooperating was how she would receive medication.
She further alleges that Kalra later touched her breasts on other occasions, pressed his body against her and repeatedly initiated inappropriate conversations about sex and her sexual relationship with her husband.
Patients Say Prescription Drugs Were Used as Leverage
Some of the most serious allegations concern Kalra’s control over patients’ prescription medications.
The lawsuit claims that several patients depended on him for medications, including opioids, and that he sometimes used that dependency as leverage.
According to the complaint, Kalra allegedly threatened to decrease or discontinue prescriptions when patients resisted sexual advances. In some cases, plaintiffs say he actually reduced or withheld medication after they rejected him.
The complaint characterizes Kalra’s medical offices as a “pill mill” where high-dose opioids, including oxycodone, and promethazine with codeine were allegedly prescribed without legitimate medical purposes.
Plaintiffs contend that Kalra sometimes demanded sexual activity in exchange for continued access to those medications.
One woman also alleges that Kalra threatened to kill her if she disclosed his conduct.
Lawsuit Claims Medical Staff Knew About Inappropriate Conduct
The civil complaint does not limit its allegations to Kalra.
The plaintiffs also contend that employees at his medical practices were aware of inappropriate behavior toward patients but failed to report it to law enforcement or state medical regulators.
According to the lawsuit, receptionists, nurses, medical assistants and other staff had knowledge of behavior that should have raised concerns but allegedly failed to intervene.
The complaint argues that this failure allowed the alleged misconduct to continue.
Plaintiffs have asserted claims that include negligence, corporate negligence and vicarious liability in connection with the operation of Kalra’s medical practices.
Earlier Employee Lawsuit Also Alleged Sexual Misconduct
The new complaint also cites an earlier lawsuit filed against Kalra and his medical practice by a former employee in 2018.
That former employee accused Kalra of inappropriate sexual touching and other misconduct in the workplace.
The current plaintiffs point to the earlier allegations as part of their contention that concerns about Kalra’s behavior existed years before the latest civil lawsuit was filed.
The new lawsuit alleges that his conduct continued despite those earlier warning signs.
Kalra Already Faces Federal Criminal Charges
The civil case is separate from the criminal prosecution pending against Kalra.
Federal authorities initially charged him in July 2025 with allegations that he illegally prescribed controlled substances in exchange for sexual activity and participated in a scheme involving Medicaid fraud.
His New Jersey medical license was suspended in August 2025.
A federal grand jury subsequently returned a 58-count indictment against him in January 2026.
What Are the 27 Former Patients Seeking?
The plaintiffs say the alleged abuse has caused lasting psychological and emotional harm.
According to the complaint, survivors have experienced effects including anxiety, depression, humiliation, fear, difficulty trusting medical professionals and a diminished ability to enjoy their lives.
Some plaintiffs say they have required counseling, psychological treatment or other forms of care and expect to continue needing treatment.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and requests a jury trial.
Claims asserted in the case include medical malpractice, negligence, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and alleged violations of New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination.
Impacts On Survivors
The lawsuit highlights misconduct by a medical provider who holds substantial authority over a patient’s health and access to medication.
Patients often see doctors when they are sick, injured, experiencing pain or otherwise vulnerable. When a patient also depends on a physician for controlled medication, that imbalance of power can become even greater.
The allegations in this case are especially concerning because multiple plaintiffs contend that access to prescriptions was used as a means of coercion.
The case also raises questions about what medical practices and their employees are required to do when warning signs of inappropriate conduct emerge.
For survivors of sexual misconduct by a doctor or other health care provider, civil liability may extend beyond the individual accused of abuse depending on the circumstances. Medical practices, employers or other entities can sometimes face separate claims involving negligent supervision, failure to act on complaints or other institutional failures.
The newly filed lawsuit against Kalra will now proceed in New Jersey state court while his separate federal criminal case remains pending.
