UF Health Physician Arrested for Domestic Battery by Strangulation

On September 21, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Dr. Karthik H. Seetharam, 39, and charged him with domestic battery by strangulation, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

At the time of his arrest, Seetharam was employed as a physician at UF Health & Shands, court records show.

UF Health External Communications Assistant Vice President Greg Harrison told GnvInfo that Seetharam started on July 1 and he's since been terminated and trespassed from campus.

Deputy Taylor Jovic reported the following:

“Upon arrival I made contact with the victim… The victim stated she had gotten into an argument with her mother in law ([M.S.]) because her child had been crying and [M.S.] handed the baby to the father in law ([S.S]) instead of her after she had asked for her baby back…

The victim went on to say that she took the baby from [S.S.] and went into her bedroom. At this time, [Seetharam] entered the room and closed the door behind him before yelling at her. While yelling at her the victim placed the baby on the ground and [S.S.] entered the room and told [Seetharam] to stop engaging with the victim. The victim told [S.S.] to stay out of it and that it wasn't his business.

[Seetharam] told the victim not to talk to his father that way and began to slap her. [M.S.] entered the room and tried to separate the two but was pushed out of the way. After this [Seetharam] placed both his hands around the victim's throat and began to apply pressure. The victim stated it started to become hard to breathe and impeded her normal breathing, she believes he was purposely trying to 'choke' her because of how his hands were around her throat. The victim had multiple scratches on both sides of her, some inches long. These injuries matched the victim's account of what had occurred. The victim also had multiple abrasions to her face, lips and ear.

During a post Miranda interview with [Seetharam], he admitted to putting his hands around her throat. I asked if the injuries on her face could be self-inflicted and he stated no and that he was slapping her with an open hand. [Seetharam] stated the victim was attacking [M.S.] by punching and slapping her in the face repeatedly and he attacked the victim out of self-defense but [M.S.] didn't have any scratches, bruises or red marks anywhere on her face or body.”

Seetharam was released on a $20,000 bond set by Judge Adam Lee under conditions to not contact the victim. He is also required to refrain from possessing weapons or firearms.

Prosecutors have not yet filed formal charges, court records show.