📷 Image Credits: NDTV
In a recent case that has sent shockwaves across the country, an Indian-American couple has been sentenced to prison for coercing their relative to work at their gas station and convenience store in the United States. Harmanpreet Singh, 31, received a 135-month (11.25 years) prison sentence, while Kulbir Kaur, 43, was sentenced to 87 months (7.25 years). Additionally, the court ordered the couple to pay their victim, Singh’s cousin, a sum of $225,210.76 (approximately Rs 1.87 crores) in restitution. The couple, who have since divorced, deceived the victim by luring him to the US with false promises of enrolling him in school.
The sentencing came after Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division highlighted how the defendants exploited their relationship with the victim, confiscated his immigration documents, and subjected him to threats, physical force, and mental abuse. The evidence presented during the trial revealed that the victim was coerced to work long hours for minimal pay, performing tasks such as cleaning, cooking, stocking, and handling the cash register at the store between 12-17 hours a day. The couple used coercive means, including physical violence, threats, and degrading living conditions, to compel the victim to continue working.
Moreover, the defendants forced the victim into marriage with Kaur and used the relationship as a means of control, threatening to take away the victim’s family properties or report him to the police if he left. The victim endured further abuse, including having his hair pulled, being slapped, kicked, and threatened with a revolver for attempting to leave or requesting his immigration documents back. This case sheds light on the prevalence of forced labor exploitation and highlights the importance of combating such heinous practices to ensure the protection of vulnerable individuals. The judgment serves as a warning that such acts will not be tolerated in communities and underscores the need for stringent measures to prevent and address forced labor instances.
