A New Jersey-based physician of Indian origin has been charged with distributing prescription drugs without legitimate medical need and allegedly exchanging them for sexual favors, federal authorities said.Dr. Ritesh Kalra, 51, of Secaucus, is accused of running what prosecutors describe as a “pill mill” from his Fair Lawn medical office.According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Kalra routinely issued high-dose prescriptions for opioids such as oxycodone, along with promethazine with codeine, both drugs commonly misused for their narcotic effects.“Physicians hold a position of profound responsibility, but as alleged, Dr. Kalra used that position to fuel addiction, exploit vulnerable patients for sex, and defraud New Jersey’s public healthcare program,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba in the press release.Prosecutors allege that between January 2019 and February 2025, Kalra wrote more than 31,000 prescriptions for oxycodone, with some days seeing more than 50 prescriptions issued.In addition, he is accused of billing public healthcare programs for fake in-person visits and counseling sessions that never occurred.Kalra appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Newark on Thursday and was released on home incarceration with an unsecured bond of $100,000. As a condition of his release, he is barred from operating his medical practice while the case is ongoing.(With inputs from PTI)
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