Kirshna Singh, 72, abused his position as a respected family doctor in North Lanarkshire to subject dozens of women victims to unwanted kissing, palpitations, inappropriate examinations and obscene comments. On Thursday, a court convicted Singh – who had become an MBE of medical services and treated generations of families since the 1980s – of 54 counts against the victims. They included a woman who had been raped, teenage children and pregnant women. He denied allegations that the patients were wrong and that he had been taught some of the tests, such as touching the breasts “simultaneously”, during medical training in India.
The doctor “was like Benny Hill”
The offenses, which covered February 1983 and May 2018, occurred mainly at medical clinics in North Lanarkshire. However, offenses were also reported in the hospital accident and emergency department and the police department, as well as in visits to patients’ homes. Singh also worked as a police accident surgeon, which included examining victims of sexual violence. Nine other offenses were not proven, while Singh was acquitted of two other charges. His insult went unnoticed for decades, despite some witnesses saying his inappropriate actions became a “crazy joke” among local women. Many felt so uncomfortable seeing him that they insisted on being accompanied on a date by a friend or relative. Women after women entered the witness box during the two-month trial in the Glasgow Supreme Court to tell how they suffered at his hands. A former patient said Singh was “pushing and pushing” around the line of her pants, even if it was a sore throat test. One told the trial that Airdrie’s general practitioner, Lanarkshire, “was like Benny Hill”, having tightened her chest and said “big boobs”.
“Insult routine against women”
It was only when a woman, inspired by the #MeToo movement, mentioned Singh on the NHS Lanarkshire in 2018, that an investigation was launched and the extent of his insult became clear. He will be sentenced next month. Speaking to jurors, Angela Gray, the prosecutor, said: “The Crown’s case is that Dr. Singh was on a routine of insulting women. Other times thin or camouflaged, other times obvious and glaring. Sexual harassment was part of his professional life. “A quick feeling, a look at a familiar area, an indecent comment. That was the way he worked, hidden from public view.” A man admitted to jurors that he threatened to attack Singh after he caught him touching his then pregnant wife on a date in the mid-1990s. The witness recalled: “Dr. Singh came up to us and put his hands – palms up – and then squeezed her chest two or three times. Then he said, ‘Your breasts are growing.’ “I said, ‘Get your hands off her … otherwise I’ll knock you out the window.’ Other victims said they believed Singh was a “creep” and “dilated”.
“Disgusting breach of trust”
Singh showed no emotion as the verdicts were read on Thursday. The crimes consist mainly of multiple sexual and obscene attacks. Defendant Janice Green asked Singh to remain on bail pending an investigation into his “physical and mental health”. His bail continued until his conviction. Dr Linda Findlay, medical director for the South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said GPs across the area were “shocked” by the case and “strongly condemned Singh’s actions. He added: “Krishna Singh’s actions were a complete breach of trust and a complete abuse of the patient-doctor relationship. “We know this has been an extremely difficult time for patients and relatives who have been affected and we thank them for their courage in presenting their concerns to the police.”
