A physiotherapist who grabbed a patient’s breast and licked her nipple has been struck off over what was a ‘deliberate and catastrophic’ breach of trust, a tribunal has ruled.
Sydney physiotherapist Sudheer Teegala, 45, learned his fate this week when NCAT handed down its decision to cancel his registration for two years.
The proceedings were brought by the Health Care Complaints Commission, following an incident in June 2024 involving Teegala and a 32-year-old female patient.
The woman, referred to as ‘Patient A’, had attended five sessions with Teegala at Good Street Medical Centre in Westmead for knee pain and lumbar spine pain.
The Tribunal heard that during his fifth consultation with Patient A, he lifted up her shirt, rubbed her breast, pulled down her bra, grabbed her breasts, bent over and licked her nipple during a 90-minute massage.
Upon leaving the clinic, Teegala ‘went to apologise’ to Patient A, who allegedly told him five times to ‘stop following her’ and threatened to call the police. However, Teegala gave evidence that she only told him once.
Patient A’s husband complained to the clinic later that day, and Teegala was sacked from the clinic the following day.
On July 11, he was arrested and charged with sexually touching Patient A without consent. However, upon being charged, Teegala failed to notify the board, and it wasn’t until six months after his conviction that he did so.
Teegala was treating the woman at Good Street Medical Centre in Westmead
During an interim hearing with the Physiotherapy Council on July 19, Teegala denied having any attraction to the woman, conceded the conduct was ‘out of character’ and had crossed ‘personal and professional boundaries’.
He also denied being under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.
In February 2025, he pleaded guilty in Parramatta Local Court and was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community corrections order.
During sentencing, the magistrate described Teegala’s offending as ‘a significant breach of trust and a complete betrayal’ of Patient A ‘who went there in good faith to be treated for her knee pain’.
A subsequent appeal against the sentence in the District Court was dismissed.
The Tribunal found that Teegala ‘clearly knew the appropriate boundaries and need for consent’, and that ‘his massaging of the patient’s breasts and the licking of her nipple were clearly very wrong’.
While the HCCC relied on Teegala’s ‘comprehensive submissions’, the Tribunal noted he appeared ‘keen to downplay the seriousness of the sexual aspects of his offending behaviour’ by describing it as ‘misjudgement’, ‘recklessness’, ‘opportunism’ and ‘spur of the moment’.
During sentencing, the magistrate described Teegala’s offending as ‘a significant breach of trust and a complete betrayal’ of Patient A ‘who went there in good faith to be treated for her knee pain’
It further found that he had ‘acted forcefully and persistently towards Patient A despite her protests and evasive actions’, before following her in what she saw as a ‘predatory manner’.
However, the Tribunal also took into consideration that Mr Teegala had practised as a physiotherapist for many years without complaint or incident, and was suffering personal stresses in the lead-up to his offending.
The Tribunal found that the circumstances of Teegala’s conduct made him ‘unfit in the public interest’ to practise physiotherapy, and cancelled his registration with a non-review period for two years.
He was also barred from providing any health services during this time and from applying to have his cancellation reviewed.