California Psychiatrist Kulwinder Singh Sentenced on Domestic Violence Charge; Medical Board Seeks to Take Action Against License

September 2, 2021

On March 1, 2021, the Medical Board of California published its Accusation against Sacramento-area psychiatrist Kulwinder Singh, charging him with unprofessional conduct based on a criminal conviction. The Board seeks to revoke, suspend, or otherwise discipline Singh's medical license. 

In January 2019, the District Attorney of Contra Costa County charged Singh with Corporal Injury to a Spouse/Cohabitant/Child's Parent—a violation of the California Penal Code. This criminal charge was the result of a May 1, 2018 police investigation of a domestic violence report.

Singh’s wife had called 911 on May 1^st to report that Singh had pushed her down the stairs of their home. Police who responded to the call found the wife (referred to as “Victim A” in the Medical Board’s document) crying with recent abrasions and dried blood on her shins.

Singh changed his story several times, giving different statements to police about what had occurred, thus police found his explanation to be inconsistent.

What appears consistent in the Board’s document is that while holding their baby while standing at the top of the stairs, Singh wanted his wife to “get out” and did push her but asserted to both police and Board investigators that he did not cause her to fall.

On May 16, 2019, Singh plead no contest to the lesser charge of Battery of a Spouse. He was sentenced July 30, 2020 to three years’ probation, anger management and other requirements, including that he not contact his wife.

Singh’s office is called Psychiatric Care for Seniors and is located in Walnut Creek, California. Public records obtained by Citizens Commission on Human Rights show that he has or still does practice in Sacramento and the surrounding area.

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The full text from the Medical Board’s document follows:  

Respondent Kulwinder Singh, M.D. is subject to disciplinary action under code section 2234 (unprofessional conduct), and/or section 2236 (criminal conviction), and/or California Code of Regulations, Title 16, section 1360 (criminal conviction), in that on or about July 30, 2020, in a criminal proceeding entitled The People a/the State a/California v. Kulwinder Singh, in the Contra Costa County Superior Court, Case Number 01-188-443-6, Respondent was convicted for the misdemeanor crime of violating California Penal Code section 243(e)(l). Penal Code Section 243(e)(l) provides in relevant part that: "When a battery is committed against a spouse, a person with whom the defendant is cohabiting, the battery is punishable by a fine, not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment." The circumstances are as follows:

May 1, 2018 Domestic Violence Event:

On May 1,2018, at approximately 8:53 p.m., in San Ramon, California, officers with the San Ramon Police Department were dispatched to Respondent's residence regarding a domestic violence report. Respondent's wife, Victim A had clled 911 and reported that Respondent had pushed her down a flight of stairs. When the police officers arrived at Respondent's residence, they observed Victim A crying and they noted injuries to her shins.

Victim A had two small abrasions to her right shin and a red mark about eight inches in length on her left shin. The injuries appeared to have recently occurred as the victim had fresh dried blood on the affected areas.

Police interviewed Respondent and he told police he was arguing with his wife about their baby and that he told Victim A to get out of the house. Initially, Respondent told police that while the victim was trying to leave the house she fell down the stairs because she "was moving very fast." Respondent told police that he did not touch Victim A and did not push her down the stairs.

After interviewing Respondent, Police officers interviewed Victim A. Victim A stated that Respondent put his hand on her shoulder when she was at the top of the stairs and that he pushed her down the stairs. Victim A explained that while Respondent was holding their 20-month-old baby in his hands, he put his hand-on the victim's left shoulder and she felt a hard push on her shoulder. As Respondent pushed Victim A, Respondent told the victim to "get out."

Victim A fell approximately 15 steps and she scraped her shins during the fall. Victim A reported that Respondent had assaulted her two times in the past, the most recent time when she was pregnant with their baby.

When the police officers re-interviewed Respondent and confronted him with Victim A's account of what happened, Respondent changed his original story and explained that he did in fact push Victim A while she was at the top of the stairs while he was yelling "get out."

However, Respondent told police that his push was not the cause of Victim A falling down the flight of stairs. Respondent then changed his story again and stated that he actually pushed a suitcase that Victim A was holding and not the victim's shoulder.

Due to Respondent's inconsistent statements about what happened, given Victim A's account of domestic violence and her shin injuries, the officers arrested Respondent for domestic violence. After the officers read Respondent his Miranda Rights, Respondent stated that he "did push [Victim A] but the push did not cause her to fall."

Criminal Case Filing, Plea Agreement, and Sentencing:

On January 7, 2019, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office filed a criminal complaint against Respondent in the Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County in the matter entitled: The People of the State of California v. Kulwinder Singh, Case No. 01-188-443-6. The Respondent was charged with the crime of Corporal Injury to a Spouse/Cohabitant/Child's Parent in violation of Penal Code section 273.5(a). Section 273.5(a) states in pertinent part that any person who willfully inflicts a corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition upon a [spouse] is guilty of a felony and upon conviction shall be imprisoned for two, three of four years or by a fine of up to $6,000 dollars, or by a fine and imprisonment.

On or about May 16, 2019, Respondent pled "no contest" to a lesser charge of violating Penal Code section 243(e)(1) (battery on a spouse).

On or about July 30, 2020, Respondent was sentenced by the Contra Costa Superior Court to the following terms and conditions:

a. Three years of probation;

b. 12 days of an alternative work program in lieu of 25 days in County Jail;

c. 20 hours community service;

d. 52 weeks of anger management;

e. Domestic violence fee in the amount of $500.00 dollars;

f. Victim restitution to Victim A in the amount of$150.00 dollars;

g. Do not annoy, threaten, or contact Victim A;

h. Do not possess any dangerous or deadly weapons; and

i. Pay other various fees and fines.

On January 6, 2021, Respondent was interviewed by the Board. Respondent told the Board investigator that Victim A fell down the stairs because she was in a "hyper state."

Respondent omitted the fact that he put his hand on the victim's shoulder when she was at the top of the stairs and pushed her down the stairs. When the Board investigator confronted Respondent with the San Ramon Police report, Respondent admitted that he did touch Victim A when she was at the top of the stairs but that she did not fall because of his touch but rather fell because of the "height ... of her anxiety ... emotions."

Source: Accusation in the Matter of the Accusation against Kulwinder Singh, M.D., Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate NO. A 70440, Case No. 800-2018-044399, Medical Board of California, March 1, 2021.