| Revision as of 19:19, 3 July 2024 editJeniferDeBellis (talk | contribs)3 edits Updated bio information, including information on education, career, training, and criminal background and acquittal details. Also added photo gallery and family and memoir details.Tags: Reverted possible unreferenced addition to BLP references removed Visual edit← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:23, 3 July 2024 edit undoRsjaffe (talk | contribs)Administrators55,921 edits Reverted 1 edit by JeniferDeBellis (talk): UnreferencedTags: Twinkle UndoNext edit → | ||
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| {{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| | name = Rajendra Bothra | | name = Rajendra Bothra | ||
| | image = | | image = | ||
| | imagesize = | | imagesize = | ||
| | caption = | | caption = | ||
| | birth_date = | | birth_date = | ||
| | birth_place = India | | birth_place = India | ||
| | death_date = | | death_date = | ||
| | death_place = | | death_place = | ||
| | restingplace = | | restingplace = | ||
| | restingplacecoordinates = | | restingplacecoordinates = | ||
| | othername = | | othername = | ||
| | occupation = Surgeon | | occupation = Surgeon | ||
| | yearsactive = | | yearsactive = | ||
| | known for = ] | | known for = ] | ||
| | spouse = |
| spouse = Pammy Bothra | ||
| | domesticpartner = | | domesticpartner = | ||
| | children = Sonia Bothra | | children = Sonia Bothra | ||
| | parents = | | parents = | ||
| | website = | | website = | ||
| | awards = ] | | awards = ] | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Rajendra Bothra''' is an American surgeon, humanitarian and politician of Indian origin.<ref name="Dr. Raj Bothra awarded Padma Shri">{{cite web | url=https://www.indianembassy.org/archives_details.php?nid=328 | title=Dr. Raj Bothra awarded Padma Shri | publisher=Embassy of India, Washington D C | date=29 January 1999 | access-date=October 31, 2015}}</ref> He is a former Chief of Surgery at the Holy Cross Hospital, Detroit and practices ] at the Pain Centre USA, ].<ref name="Our staff">{{cite web | url=http://www.thepaincenterusa.com/our-staff.html | title=Our staff | publisher=Pain Center USA | date=2015 | access-date=October 31, 2015}}</ref> He is a Fellow of the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP)<ref name="Our staff" /> and is associated with Indian health organizations in conducting lectures to raise awareness of ] and ].<ref name="Dr. Raj Bothra awarded Padma Shri" /> He is politically aligned with the ] and was appointed by ] as the co-chairman of the Asian-American Coalition for the ].<ref name="Changing convention">{{cite web | url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/prosperous-indian-americans-switch-over-to-the-republicans/1/307632.html | title=Changing convention | publisher=India Today | date=15 September 1992 | access-date=October 31, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Raj Bothra, MD. From healer to presidential appointee, he is a man committed to numerous charitable causes">{{cite journal | title=Raj Bothra, MD. From healer to presidential appointee, he is a man committed to numerous charitable causes | author=Bouffard K. | journal=Mich. Med. | date=January 1996 | volume=95 | issue=1 | pages=38–39 | pmid=8820940}}</ref> He was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of the ], by the Government of India, in 1999.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | On December 6, 2018, Bothra and five other physicians at The Pain Center USA were indicted for healthcare fraud and released on bond pending trial. In 2019, Bothra was taken into federal custody for misrepresenting information about his relatives, trips abroad, and assets, and he remained in custody pending trial due to flight risk. Bothra has filed eight motions to revoke his detention and appealed the denials six times.<ref>{{Cite web |title=United States of America v. Bothra et al: OPINION and ORDER Denying 340 Motion for Revocation of Detention Order; Denying 369 Motion to File an Addendum as to Rajendra Bothra (1). Signed by District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. (DPar) |url=https://www.docketbird.com/court-documents/United-States-of-America-v-Bothra-et-al/OPINION-and-ORDER-Denying-340-Motion-for-Revocation-of-Detention-Order-Denying-369-Motion-to-File-an-Addendum-as-to-Rajendra-Bothra-1-Signed-by-District-Judge-Stephen-J-Murphy-III-DPar/mied-2:2018-cr-20800-334632-00396 |access-date=2022-06-18 |website=www.docketbird.com |language=en}}</ref> He was accused of fueling the nation's opioid epidemic, cheating Medicare, and subjecting patients to needless and painful back injections.<ref name="Medical Dialogues">{{cite web | url=https://medicaldialogues.in/dr-rajendra-bothra-padmashri-doctor-healthcare-fraud-gets-bail-on-record-rs-50-crore-bond/ | title=US: Padmashri Doctor accused of Healthcare fraud, gets bail on record Rs 50 crore bond | publisher= Medical Dialogues | date=2019 | access-date=January 17, 2019}}</ref> He was acquitted on all criminal charges on June 29, 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.macombdaily.com/2022/06/29/doctors-acquitted-of-operating-warren-based-prescription-pill-mill/ | title=Doctors acquitted of operating Warren-based prescription pill mill | date=29 June 2022 }}</ref> On August 24, 2023, the US Department of Justice announced that Dr. Bothra had agreed to pay $6.8 million to settle two separate civil suits alleging that he had violated the False Claims Act, the first filed in 2017 and the second filed in 2019.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-08-24 |title=Eastern District of Michigan {{!}} Michigan Doctor to Pay $6.5 million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations {{!}} United States Department of Justice |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/michigan-doctor-pay-65-million-resolve-false-claims-act-allegations |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=www.justice.gov |language=en}}</ref> Those qui tam (whistleblower) lawsuits were identified by the Department of Justice as "''United States ex rel. Ronald Kufner et al. vs. The Pain Center USA PLLC, et al., No. 2:17-cv-11644 (E.D. Mich.) and United States ex rel. Hersh Patel vs. Interventional Pain Center, et al, No. 2:18-cv-12728 (E.D. Mich.)"''.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
| '''Rajendra Bothra''' is a surgeon, interventional pain management expert, activist, and survivor of one of America's biggest false arrest and imprisonment scandals. He grew up with a loving family in a rural town in India with a population of 25,000 and no electricity or high school. He earned his first medical degree from Sardar Patel Medical College before completing a year-long junior house surgeon residency at Bombay Hospital in Mumbai and attending the University of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in London. His U.S. surgical journey began in 1972 at Sinai Hospital in Detroit and led him to Holy Cross Hospital, where he acted as Department of Surgery Chair, Medical Staff President, and member of the Board of Trustees. During this time, he built a single-owner private practice that became the nation's largest ] system (The Pain Center, USA, and Interventional Pain Center). He is a former fellow of the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP). | |||
| ] | |||
| Over the years, Dr. Bothra has supported activist causes in India and the U.S. He co-founded the with his mentor Sunil Dutt, an actor turned politician. From 1980 to 2000, he volunteered a month each year in India, working on various socio-economic issues. In the 1980s, he produced a Hindi film, ''Mehndi''. By the invitation of India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he started a national campaign against drug abuse<ref name="Dr. Raj Bothra awarded Padma Shri">{{cite web |date=29 January 1999 |title=Dr. Raj Bothra awarded Padma Shri |url=https://www.indianembassy.org/archives_details.php?nid=328 |access-date=October 31, 2015 |publisher=Embassy of India, Washington D C}}</ref>, which was later extended to include HIV/AIDS and smoking. He worked with Bibek Debroy, CEO of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and Ekta Kapoor of Balaji Telefilms to produce educational videos distributed to schools across India. He’s worked with important public figures, including various Indian prime ministers, U.S. presidents, Mother Teresa, and Pope John Paul II. Indian President K.R. Narayanan awarded him the high civilian honor of ],<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |date=2015 |title=Padma Awards |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |access-date=July 21, 2015 |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India}}</ref> and he’s received numerous awards in India and the U.S. for his public service. His political activism has allowed him to work closely over the past few decades with the ] even earning him an appointment by ] to be the co-chairman of the Asian-American Coalition for the ]. | |||
| == Arrest, Imprisonment, and Acquittal == | |||
| ⚫ | On December 6, 2018, Bothra and five other physicians at |
||
| == Family Life and Rebuilding His Life == | |||
| Thirty years ago, his work with one of Mother Teresa’s orphanages led him to adopt a six-month-old baby girl, Sonia, which he considers to be his highest life achievement. Since his acquittal in 2022, he continues to reclaim his freedom and rebuild the beautiful life he shares with his wife Pammi and daughter Sonia and her husband Zee. He has written a memoir that chronicles his life leading up to his false arrest and imprisonment that ultimately led to his acquittal on June 29, 2022. Official publication and cinematic details are forthcoming about this book, '''''Acquitted: The Truth Behind the Federal False Arrest and Imprisonment Scandal, U.S.A. vs. Dr. Raj Bothra'''''. Dr. Bothra hopes his story provokes important conversations about the flawed judicial system in the U.S. while it illuminates the resilient power of the human soul and becomes a lighthouse and beacon of hope to those who are navigating their own dark storms.<gallery> | |||
| File:Raj and Mother Teresa.jpg|Raj Bothra working with Mother Teresa | |||
| File:Raj and Pammi with Pope John Paul II.jpg|Raj and Pammi Bothra meeting Pope John Paul, II | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with Prime Minister Narsshimha.jpg|Raj Bothra with Indian Prime Minister Narsshimha | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.jpg|''Raj Bothra with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi'' | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.jpg|Raj Bothra with Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with President K.R. Narayanan.jpg|''Raj Bothra with Indian President K.R. Narayanan'' | |||
| File:AAIP Presents AIDS in India.jpg|Speech at AAPI Presents AIDS Crisis in India event | |||
| File:Indian President K.R. Narayanan awards Raj Padma Shri.jpg|Indian President K.R. Narayanan awards Raj Bothra the Padma Shri | |||
| File:Padma Shri with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpaye, his cabinet, the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Armed Forces, Mrs. Sonia Sandhi.jpg|Receiving the Pasma Shri award with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpaye; his cabinet; the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Armed Forces; and Mrs. Sonia Sandhi and special guest | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with President Reagan.jpg|Raj Bothra with President Ronald Reagan | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with President and Mrs Carter.jpg|Raj Bothra, Sunil Dutt with President and Mrs. Carter | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with George W Bush.jpg|Raj Bothra with President Bush | |||
| File:Bothras host President George W Bush at their home.jpg|The Bothras hosting President George W Bush | |||
| File:Kiran Bedi, Ms. Jain, Raj Bothra, Gloria Steinam.jpg|Women's Rights event with Kiran Bedi, Ms. Jain, Raj Bothra, Gloria Steinam | |||
| File:Bothras with John Engler and Wife.jpg|The Bothras with Governor and Mrs. Engler | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with Spencer Abrams.jpg|Raj Bothra with Senator Spenser Abrams | |||
| File:Raj Bothra and Sunil Dutt.jpg|Raj Bothra with mentor Sunil Dutt | |||
| File:Raj Bothra with Muhammad Ali.jpg|Raj Bothra with Muhammad Ali | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 19:23, 3 July 2024
| Rajendra Bothra | |
|---|---|
| Born | India |
| Occupation | Surgeon |
| Known for | Interventional pain management |
| Spouse | Pammy Bothra |
| Children | Sonia Bothra |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Rajendra Bothra is an American surgeon, humanitarian and politician of Indian origin. He is a former Chief of Surgery at the Holy Cross Hospital, Detroit and practices interventional pain management at the Pain Centre USA, Warren. He is a Fellow of the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP) and is associated with Indian health organizations in conducting lectures to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse. He is politically aligned with the Republican Party and was appointed by George H. W. Bush as the co-chairman of the Asian-American Coalition for the 1988 United States presidential election. He was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri, by the Government of India, in 1999.
On December 6, 2018, Bothra and five other physicians at The Pain Center USA were indicted for healthcare fraud and released on bond pending trial. In 2019, Bothra was taken into federal custody for misrepresenting information about his relatives, trips abroad, and assets, and he remained in custody pending trial due to flight risk. Bothra has filed eight motions to revoke his detention and appealed the denials six times. He was accused of fueling the nation's opioid epidemic, cheating Medicare, and subjecting patients to needless and painful back injections. He was acquitted on all criminal charges on June 29, 2022. On August 24, 2023, the US Department of Justice announced that Dr. Bothra had agreed to pay $6.8 million to settle two separate civil suits alleging that he had violated the False Claims Act, the first filed in 2017 and the second filed in 2019. Those qui tam (whistleblower) lawsuits were identified by the Department of Justice as "United States ex rel. Ronald Kufner et al. vs. The Pain Center USA PLLC, et al., No. 2:17-cv-11644 (E.D. Mich.) and United States ex rel. Hersh Patel vs. Interventional Pain Center, et al, No. 2:18-cv-12728 (E.D. Mich.)".
See also
References
- ^ "Dr. Raj Bothra awarded Padma Shri". Embassy of India, Washington D C. 29 January 1999. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ "Our staff". Pain Center USA. 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- "Changing convention". India Today. 15 September 1992. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- Bouffard K. (January 1996). "Raj Bothra, MD. From healer to presidential appointee, he is a man committed to numerous charitable causes". Mich. Med. 95 (1): 38–39. PMID 8820940.
- "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- "United States of America v. Bothra et al: OPINION and ORDER Denying 340 Motion for Revocation of Detention Order; Denying 369 Motion to File an Addendum as to Rajendra Bothra (1). Signed by District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. (DPar)". www.docketbird.com. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
- "US: Padmashri Doctor accused of Healthcare fraud, gets bail on record Rs 50 crore bond". Medical Dialogues. 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- "Doctors acquitted of operating Warren-based prescription pill mill". 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Eastern District of Michigan | Michigan Doctor to Pay $6.5 million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
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