BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Former Rogers doctor Rikhav Vasanwala, who was initially accused of drugging, raping, and filming a woman in his apartment, has been sentenced to 10 years probation with no prison time after pleading guilty to amended charges on April 1, 2024.
According to court documents, Vasanwala pled guilty to drugging a woman after his initial charges of rape and video voyeurism were dropped down to one count of introducing a drug into another person's body.
Vasanwala was accused of recording himself raping an unconscious woman to whom he had given prescription medication.
The woman contacted authorities in January 2022 after she reportedly found a video of Vasanwala raping her and multiple other women on his phone. She reportedly provided the footage to the Rogers Police Department (RPD).
According to the affidavit, the victim identified herself and the room in the video, and police said she was "obviously unconscious during the video, due to her limp body."
Judge Brad Karren denied Vasanwala's attorneys' request to dismiss the rape case. However, he ruled a memory card seized by RPD was covered by attorney-client privilege and dismissed the count of video voyeurism when Vasanwala's lawyer, Andrew Miller, argued Vasanwala's rights to a speedy trial were being infringed upon.
Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas said Vasanwala wasn't an employee of Mercy, but he had participated in the University of Arkansas For Medical Sciences (UAMS) residency program.
"When UAMS suspended Dr. Vasanwala in 2022, his access to the Mercy campus, Mercy patients, and Mercy patient records was immediately revoked," said UAMS. "Because this is a UAMS personnel matter, we are not able to comment further."
After the video voyeurism charge was dismissed and the rape charge was amended, Vasanwala pled guilty to drugging the woman, and was given ten years probation, asked to pay a $1,000 fine, barred from holding a medical license, and ordered to delete "all videos and photographs" of the victim that contain nudity.
Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Robinson said the "plea deal in this case reflects the wishes of the victim ... Jury trials in these cases are incredibly difficult for the victims."
"It was always a primary goal to ensure that the defendant would not be able to work as a practicing physician," said Robinson. "The victim in this case showed great strength and resolve in her willingness to move forward to hold the defendant accountable."
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