A Toronto anorectal specialist has had his medical licence revoked after a tribunal found he exposed patients to harm through unnecessary procedures and repeated violations of consent protocols over more than two decades.
The Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal ruled Jan. 28 that Ashwin Rajan Maharaj demonstrated incompetence and engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional conduct in his proctology and gastroenterology practice, according to CTV News.
Maharaj pleaded no contest to the disciplinary charges, allowing the tribunal to proceed without a full evidentiary hearing.
The tribunal found Maharaj performed anorectal examinations that were not clinically justified, including examinations under anesthesia. He misdiagnosed patients and carried out procedures lacking an evidence base, demonstrating a lack of knowledge about anatomy and treatment options.
“You performed anorectal examinations that were unnecessary or contraindicated, including examinations under propofol anesthesia without proper justification,” the tribunal stated, according to CTV News.
The tribunal determined Maharaj failed to obtain proper informed consent from patients. In some cases, he obtained blanket consent before examination and diagnosis, then performed procedures while patients were sedated without obtaining consent for the specific treatment delivered.
“This approach fell alarmingly short of the standard of practice and compromised your patients’ ability to make informed decisions about their health care,” the tribunal wrote, according to CTV News.
Seven patients complained to the college about his assessment and treatment between 2019 and 2025. A subsequent investigation reviewed 10 additional patient charts, revealing similar deficiencies that placed patients at an unacceptable risk of harm.
The tribunal also found serious privacy breaches. Maharaj failed to properly store and destroy patient photographs, including sensitive images, and shared treatment videos with another patient without consent.
“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,” the tribunal stated, according to CTV News.
Regulatory records show concerns about Maharaj’s practice spanned more than 20 years. Between 2003 and 2024, the college’s Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee addressed deficiencies in his documentation, informed consent, communication, and adherence to standards of practice. He was cautioned and counselled multiple times in 2013 and 2016.
The tribunal ordered Maharaj to pay $6,000 in costs to the college by Feb. 27, CTV News reported.
