A New York cardiologist has been indicted on charges tied to the alleged confinement of a pregnant woman and the death of her newborn, according to court documents and prosecutors, as reported by Page Six.
Dr. Vignendra Ariyarajah was indicted in February 2019 on charges of criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child. He has not been convicted, and his defense team disputes the prosecution’s account.
According to court documents, prosecutors allege that the doctor arranged for two people to hold a 30 year old woman named Paul Marie at a home in the Ditmas Park section of Brooklyn. Prosecutors say she was seven and a half months pregnant and that the doctor believed he was not the father. Authorities believe she was given a poisonous substance, either fentanyl or PCP, and was denied adequate food while she was held for days.
Prosecutors say she tried to escape, was returned, and then went into labor. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office says the baby was born alive in December 2016 and died hours later. One of the two people eventually called police, and first responders found the woman gravely ill and injured, according to prosecutors.
The defense tells a different story. His lawyers say the doctor prescribed the woman PCP and that she worked in his office for nine years. The doctor has said she struggled with mental illness and had a miscarriage.
Dr. Ariyarajah lives in New Jersey, is free on bail and wears an ankle monitor, according to the report. He is still allowed to visit his hospital and prescribe medication to patients. His next court date is set for May 9.
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