A GP who was awarded an MBE for his work with violent patients has been suspended for plagiarising another doctor's work.
Dr Sanjoy Kumar, who lives in Woodford Green and works at Chingford's Larkshall Medical Centre, ripped off a case study written by a junior doctor he had been appraising in an attempt to gain a new senior qualification.
The news comes just weeks after 40-year-old Dr Kumar, who also works as a forensic examiner for the police, told the Guardian he was "humbled" to have been recognised in the Queen's 2011 New Year's Honours List.
The General Medical Council (GMC) today suspended him for six months after hearing that he had reused work shown to him by Dr Margaret Staley in his coursework for a Teachers in Primary Care certificate in 2007.
He failed the course but retook it in 2008, when he again tried to pass off Dr Staley's efforts as his own without crediting her.
But an anti-plagiarism computer programme at the University of Westminster spotted similarities between both doctors' work and they were both investigated.
The GMC heard that Dr Kumar, who is employed by Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust (PCT) as an appraiser, then denied ever having met Dr Staley before his case was referred.
A fitness to practice panel at the GMC noted Dr Kumar's MBE and various other community accolades such as his 'Doctor of the Year 2008' win at the Redbridge Community Awards, and said patient safety had not been put at risk.
But it concluded that he had acted dishonestly and abused his position of trust.
It said: "You plagiarised another doctor’s work on two occasions.
"You also maintained a false account of your actions under investigation by the London Deanery, the University of Westminster, the General Medical Council and to this Panel.
"Further, you abused your position of trust as Dr Staley’s appraiser and made use of her work, which she had provided to you in confidence for the sole purpose of her appraisal.
"As a result, Dr Staley herself was initially investigated by the University of Westminster and the London Deanery for plagiarism.
"While she was totally exonerated, the Panel is in no doubt that the experience will have been a difficult one for her, caused solely by your dishonesty and by your breach of the trust she had placed in you."
His suspension will come into force after 28 days and he has the right to appeal.
Dr Kumar was unavailable for comment this evening.
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