Indian-Origin doctor charged in US fraud freed on seven-million-dollar bond

Rajendra Bothra, an Indian-American doctor charged in a healthcare fraud involving a conspiracy worth $464 million, was freed on a record seven-million-dollar bond on Tuesday (15).

Bothra was charged along with five other physicians in the alleged fraud, which is believed to have fueled the opioid epidemic in the US.

Despite government’s concern that the doctor could escape to India, Bothra was granted the bond by US District Judge Stephen Murphy. The Bloomfield Hills resident will be released on home confinement and tracked by a GPS tether and he must identify all assets under penalty of perjury, Detroit News reported.

Being the lead defendant in one of the largest healthcare fraud cases in the US history, Bothra must liquidate an $ 8.5 million retirement account to cover the bond, a process that could take three days, it reported.

Bothra’s wife and daughter will have to surrender their passports against concerns that the family might flee while Bothra awaits trial in July.

Besides being a well-known doctor in the US, Bothra has also been recognised for his work in helping the poor and sick in India.

Each year, he spends eight weeks in India where he works with charity organisations to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS and drug, tobacco and alcohol addiction. He also holds regular tours to educate professionals on health issues.

The Indian government has also praised him for being instrumental in gifting sophisticated medical equipment to hospitals in India and assisting in the rebuilding of hospitals of Maharashtra's Latur after a severe earthquake.

For his contribution to the betterment of the poor and sick, Bothra was awarded the Padmashri, one of the highest civilian honours in India, in 1999.