Millionaire Indian Couple arrested for keeping slaves!

Last updated on: May 26, 2007 at 10:57 pm by Desh Kapoor

Millionaire Indian Couple arrested for keeping slaves! 2007-05-26T22:57:34-05:00 Desh Kapoor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What is wrong with people? Why does one have such a mean streak in him/her? These idiots were millionaires.. so why would they treat someone so bad? I can understand that they would not want to pay someone enough.. because they are so blinded by money.. but denying food? And beating people? That just doesnt make sense!! But oh well!!

Btw, look at her bloody face!! If the guilt wasn’t proved by those filipinos, I will give her sentence (if I were the jury) just for looking so bitchy!! She looks soooo mean… ready to enslave anyone.. most probably, she must be thinking how to beat those filipinos up for venturing out and telling the world.. her expression says it all!! 🙂

Varsha Mahender Sabhnani of Long Island, N.Y., is led out of Nassau County police headquarters in Mineola, N.Y., after her arrest on forced labor charges Tuesday, May 15, 2007. Sabhnani, 35, and her husband, Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, who operate a worldwide perfume business, are accused of keeping two Indonesian women as slaves in their luxurious Long Island home and abusing them for years. An indictment handed up Tuesday, May 22, 2007, formally charged with them with two counts of forced labor and added two counts of harboring illegal residents. (AP Photo/Howard Schnapp)

An NRI millionaire couple accused of keeping two Indonesian women as slaves in their luxurious New York home for years — viciously inflicting abuse for perceived offenses — have been indicted on federal slavery charges.

Varsha Mahender Sabhnani, 35, and her husband, Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, who operate a worldwide perfume business out of their home in Long Island, New York, were arrested last week after one of their servants was found wandering outside a doughnut shop. The indictment, handed up on Tuesday night, charges the couple with two counts of forced labour and two counts of harbouring illegal residents. The Sabhnanis will be arraigned on the indictment on Thursday.

The defendants, who are naturalised US citizens from India, had their passports confiscated when they were arrested. A magistrate judge in US District Court in Central Islip set bail last week at $3.5 million. Friends and relatives of the couple indicated they would be willing to post bail on their behalf, but as of Wednesday morning, the pair remained in custody. Authorities uncovered the abuse after one of the women was found by police wandering in Syosset, New York, on May 13, wearing only pants and a towel. The woman is believed to have escaped the Sabhnani home when she brought the trash out the night before. Assistant US Attorney Demitri Jones has called the allegations “truly a case of modern-day slavery”.

The women, prosecutors said, were subjected to beatings, had scalding water thrown on them and were forced to repeatedly climb up stairs and take as many as 30 showers in three hours — all as punishment for perceived misdeeds. In one case, prosecutors said, one of the women was forced to eat 25 hot chilli peppers at one time. One of the women also told authorities she was cut behind her ears with a pocket knife and both were forced to sleep on mats in the kitchen. They were fed so little, they claimed, that they were forced to steal food and hide it from their captors. Attorneys for the couple said they intend to fight the allegations. Charles A. Ross, who represents Varsha Sabhnani, said the couple travelled extensively and that the two Indonesian women were free to leave whenever they wished.

Previous Post

May 26, 2007

Encircling the Tree

Next Post

May 26, 2007 CBSE results in India are out.. and the questions it raises!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Aarti Achievement and Leadership AfPak Africa Annual and Year-end Asia Audio Australia Behavioural Sciences Bhagwad Gita Bhagwad Gita Blogging Blogs Business Business Intelligence Business Strategy Cannes Careers Chanakya China Conservation Corruption Creative Daily Links Desh Poems Development & Welfare Devotional Audio Devotional Songs Drama Earth Economics Education Entertainment Environment Europe Everyday Quotes Featured Articles Featured Songs Finance Flickr Pictures Food Geo-Political Global Warming Globalization Health & Medicine Hinduism Historic History Humour India Indian Culture Indian music Indian Weddings Israel Issues Legal Link Love Minorities Misc Motivation and Personal Development Movie Lists Movie Reviews Movies Mumbai terror attacks Natural Disasters Nature News Outsourcing Pakistan Parenting Personal Philosophy Poetry Politics Poverty Quotes Recipe Regular Blog Post Relationships Religion Religious/Spiritual Audio Sciences Showcase Slideshow South Asia Special Stories Spiritual Quotes Spirituality Sports Stories Strategy Technology Technology Terrorism Travel Uncategorized US Video Women Women_s Rights Worship Yoga

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 June 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 September 2014 August 2014 January 2014 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Mary's cousin, mother of John the Baptist?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Martha Rachel Elizabeth Sarah