Woman accusing Merced chiropractor of assault: ‘I’m afraid for all his female patients’
A woman who accused a Merced chiropractor of sexual assault and medical mistreatment is speaking out, revealing more details about both the civil and criminal cases against the man she says abused her.
John Winer, the lawyer representing the alleged victim in the civil case, told the Sun-Star he believes there may be other women who were abused by chiropractor Jaimal Singh Sangha, and he hopes they step forward.
“What makes him even more dangerous is that he’s devious,” Winer said. “He managed to sexually abuse (her) under the guise of treatment to the point where she was initially confused about what he was doing. It’s very, very devious behavior.”
Sangha was arrested in March 2020 after his client first alleged the chiropractor sexually assaulted her earlier that month. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of felony sexual penetration by force of an unconscious victim, two counts of felony sexual penetration by force and felony sexual battery by fraud.
Calls were placed to Sangha’s attorney Eric Castellon this week, but he could not be reached for comment.
The Sun-Star’s policy is to not reveal the names of alleged victims in cases of sexual assault.
Winer’s client started seeking medical treatment for shoulder and hip pain injuries related to her training for powerlifting competitions and became a patient of Sangha’s in February 2020, according to the civil complaint filed in Merced County Superior Court last month.
After a few chiropractic appointments, the civil complaint alleges Sangha scheduled her for a Saturday morning appointment in March 2020. The morning she came in, no other patients were in the office and no other staff were working that day, the civil complaint says, and she was the only other person in the office besides Sangha.
“I was creeped out,” Winer’s client said of the empty office that morning. “I have gone to Saturday appointments before, and there’s been staff, it’s always been a normal day. Some offices just have multiple people working on Saturdays.”
Sangha asked her to put a medical gown on with the opening facing the back before laying down on the chiropractic table. He then proceeded to touch her inappropriately, the complaint alleges.
“Dr. Sangha is still practicing, and I thoroughly believe he should not be practicing,” the woman said. “I’m afraid for all his female patients. He’s dangerous and comes off seeming very professional, but really, his actions are disgusting and incredibly unprofessional.”
Winer added sexual assault in an empty office environment can make the situation even more frightening – a situation his client says she experienced firsthand.
“You don’t know if you’re going to be able to get away,” Winer said. “The best you can do is run out, and when (she) tried to leave, the door was locked. She was essentially imprisoned in there and, fortunately, he let her out.”
Winer added, “I can just imagine that moment of terror when she’s abused, there’s no one there to help her and she’s been locked into this situation.”
The lawsuit against Sangha also names his practice, Advanced Chiropractic & Sports Clinic, and the complaint alleges employees of the clinic should have known about Sangha’s behavior and that the abusive treatment towards female patients, including Winer’s client, was allowed to happen.
The next date for the criminal case pending against Sangha is scheduled in Merced County Superior Court on March 29, according to the most recent court documents in the criminal case.
Multiple women are named as confidential witnesses in the criminal case. A motion has been made in criminal court to compel Sangha to cease practicing, according to court documents.