Sydney physiotherapist Sudheer Teegala, 45, has been struck off by a tribunal for sexually assaulting a patient during a treatment session in June 2024, a ruling described as addressing a "deliberate and catastrophic" breach of trust. The case highlights serious failings in professional boundaries and patient safety within healthcare settings. Teegala's registration has been cancelled for two years, and he is barred from providing any health services during this period.

The tribunal heard that during the patient's fifth consultation for knee pain and lumbar spine pain, Teegala lifted her shirt, grabbed her breasts, and licked her nipple during a 90-minute massage. After the appointment, he followed the patient from the clinic despite her repeated requests to stop. The patient's husband complained that day, leading to Teegala's dismissal from the clinic. He was arrested in July 2024, pleaded guilty in Parramatta Local Court in February 2025, and received a two-year community corrections order. The tribunal found he had acted forcefully and persistently despite the patient's protests and determined him unfit to practise physiotherapy in the public interest.