A pre-trial conference was scheduled to start Wednesday (Jan. 12) in B.C. Supreme Court for a Chilliwack physiotherapist facing eight counts of sexually assaulting patients.
According to Court Services Online, that has now been scheduled for May 11.
Sanjay Amrutkar, 39, was first arrested and appeared in court two years ago, on Feb. 12, 2020.
He was initially charged with two counts of sexual assault. That was bumped up to six soon after when more alleged victims came forward, and after police pleaded for more victims to come forward.
Now he’s facing eight charges.
• READ MORE: Chilliwack physiotherapist charged with sexual assault
The charges Amrutkar faces are for offences alleged to have occurred while he was working as a physiotherapist at a Chilliwack clinic.
Four months before police issued the statement about the charges, Amrutkar entered a voluntary consent agreement for an inquiry by the College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC) a due to a complaint made by a female patient “engaged in touching which appeared to be non-therapeutic in nature.”
On Oct. 8, 2019, the college made a public notice of the inquiry under the Health Professions Act.
As of Jan. 11, 2022, Amrutkar’s registration with the college is listed as “full” with an expiry date of May 31, 2022. He has, however, one condition on his licence: “Treat female patients w/ chaperone.”
A pre-trial conference is an informal hearing for all parties – defence, Crown and the judge – to ensure they are ready for the trial, and to see if it’s possible to reach a resolution to the case to avoid a trial.
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