Doctor accused of having mistress's baby killed while on holiday with wife
A doctor is accused of having the baby of his mistress killed while he was on holiday with his wife after she fell pregnant to another man.
Dr Vignendra Ariyarajah, from New Jersey, is accused of having two people starve and drug Paul Marie Raymond, 30, in 2016, while she was seven months’ pregnant, resulting in the death of her newborn child, New York Post reported.
He faced a Brooklyn court on Tuesday (local time).
The cardiologist and Ms Raymond were allegedly involved in an affair after she started working for him, a source told the paper.
The source added he supported her financially but was controlling. She allegedly left him and became pregnant to another man.
It is alleged Ariyarajah found out and had Ms Raymond held captive in her apartment with the help of two unnamed people.
The pair allegedly starved the woman and fed her fentanyl and what’s believed to be PCP along with water from a syringe.
The doctor was on a ski holiday with his wife during this period.
Ms Raymond escaped at one stage but was caught, CBS2 reported.
The baby boy was born on December 24, 2016 but died on Christmas Eve, according to the New York Chef Medical Examiner.
One of Ms Raymond’s captors eventually called emergency services who on arrival found the woman in poor health, semi-conscious with her fingernails torn off and chemical burns to her face, prosecutors said, alleging she was tortured.
Court documents obtained by CBS2 state she was also found with marks on her arms and legs from being tied up, and the boy’s death was caused by an infection, according to an autopsy report.
The documents also state Dr Ariyarajah or “Dr Vic” was involved in a series of text messages with one of the accused asking them to use bottles “on the dresser without anyone noticing”.
It is further alleged one of the people accused of helping the doctor tried to prevent paramedics from getting into the home to help the mum.
The doctor’s lawyers said he was innocent and Ms Raymond miscarried.
Dr Ariyarajah has been charged with criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.
He is free on bail. He has to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet, but CBS reports he is allowed to continue to work as a doctor.
Dr Ariyarajah will be back in court in May.
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