Doctors accused of sex assault to stay in jail

Two medical doctors have been arrested and charged with gang sexual assault of a 23-year-old woman in downtown Toronto. Police believe there may be more victims.

Amitabh Chauhan, 32, of Ancaster, Ont., and Suganthan Kayilasanathan, 32, of Markham, Ont., were arrested on Friday.

The two made brief court appearances on Saturday morning. They were not given bail and were ordered held in custody until Wednesday. A publication ban was placed on the proceedings.

Police say the victim knew one of the doctors and met him in the bar of a hotel in the area of Queen Street West and University Avenue on Sunday, Feb. 13.

"She went to the bar under the pretense of being given career advice," said Const. Tony Vella, spokesman for Toronto police. "Unbeknownst to her a second man appeared and they both sat down ..."

Investigators say the three then moved off to another bar in the area of Wellington Street West and Spadina Avenue. They believe that's where the woman was given an unknown substance that made her "lapse in and out of consciousness."

"She was taken back to the original hotel and she was taken up to a room where she was allegedly sexually assaulted by the two men," said Vella.

Chauhan and Kayilasanathan are both active medical doctors in the province.

According to the Ontario Medical Association's website, Chauhan is listed as a member of the plastic surgery department at McMaster University in Hamilton.

Kayilasanathan is listed as being in family practice in Markham, just north of Toronto.

Both men have been charged with administering a noxious substance and gang sexual assault.

Vella said investigators believe there may be other victims.

"We're urging anyone who has any information regarding the two men to contact the investigators at the sex crimes unit at 416-808-7474," he said.