Slavery Case: NRI couple to lose their mansion

Indonesian born wife Varsha Sabhnani should be revoked and that they be sent to a federal prison.

Each could get 20 years in prison. The defence lawyers said they plan to file an appeal perhaps as early as next month.

The Sabhnanis mansion in an upscale neighbourhood in Long Island covers an area of 5,888-square foot on less than a half acre property, Newsday reported quoting official country records. It has seven bathrooms. Comparable homes in the area are now selling for USD 1.6 million and USD 2.8 million, it said.

Currently, Sabhnanis are on bail and living in their Mansion, which has been temporary turned into prison and are paying almost USD 10,000 per day for security, which keeps an eye on them to ensure that they do not escape.

The arrangement was agreed to after prosecutors said that they are flight risk, as they might have funds outside the country.

After an eight-week trial, Sabhnanis were convicted of enslaving two Indonesian women they had hired as domestic help and torturing them. The jury comprising seven men and five women had found them guilty on all 12 charges including forced labour, harbouring illegal aliens and servitude.

The jurors, who spoke to the press, indicated that the pictures of the tortured maids had a major effect on them.

“Pictures speak 1000 words,” as a juror told put it.

They also rejected the defence argument that the wounds were self-inflicted as, they thought, no one could do that. Sabhnanis had alleged that the women, identified as Samirah and Enung, had inflicted wounds on themselves during some witchcraft ritual.

US District Attorney for Eastern District Benton Campbell told reporters that these crimes are a reality and must be confronted. Forced labour offends anywhere offends human dignity.

The jurors were individually asked how they voted on each of the 12 charges and all verdicts were “guilty.”

Mahender and Varsha were arrested in mid May after one of the women was found loitering near a restaurant wearing only pants and towel and the employees called the police, who interviewed her with the help of an interpreter.

The second woman was found during search of the house by immigration officials of the house later in the day. Each was expected to be paid USD 100 per month, which was to be sent to their relatives back in Indonesia.