LONDON, MARCH 31: High-Profile Indian doctor Tonmoy Sharma has been banned from practicing in Britain after he was found guilty of conducting unethical drug tests on mentally ill patients in the country.

The General Medical Council of Britain has decided to “suspend” Tonmoy, 42, from the medical register with immediate effect, a spokeswoman of the GMC said on Monday.

The Fitness to Practise Panel of the GMC at its meeting on Sunday determined that “it is necessary for the protection of members of the public that Dr Sharma’s registration should be made subject to suspension with immediate effect,” she told PTI.

Sharma, who hails from Assam and is a former lecturer at the prestigious Institute of Psychiatry in London, will get 28 days to lodge an appeal, according to the order.

Sharma, a prominent psychiatrist who often appeared on the BBC and wrote books on mental illness, was served with the notification of the Panel’s direction on Monday.

While General Medical Council had sough the doctor’s immediate suspension “for the protection of members of the public, Sharma had said it was not necessary as patients are not at any risk.

In its order, the panel said the issues raised were of “serious concern”.