|
New York: An Indian
American man whose family forced his wife into slave labour was
spared jail but sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to
perform 220 hours of community service. His mother and sister each
face up to seven years in prison.
Vishal Jagota, 34, of New York suburb Ramapo was also fined $1,000
by Rockland County Court Judge William K. Nelson, Newsday
reported.
Prosecutors alleged that Jagota's wife, whom authorities never
publicly named, was brought to the US from India in January 2008
through an arranged marriage at 20 and suffered in a life of
servitude and sexual abuse.
The abuse went on until the Jagotas were arrested in October 2010.
Jagota, his mother and sister were indicted in March 2011 on
charges of labour trafficking and endangering the welfare of a
child in addition to assault charges.
However, in a non-jury trial, Nelson convicted Jagota in February,
only on a misdemeanour assault charge. The conviction carried a
maximum sentence of a year in jail.
His 58-year-old mother Parveen Jagota, and 31-year-old sister
Rajani Jagota were convicted of labour trafficking and
second-degree assault, both felonies.
They each face up to seven years in prison when they are sentenced
next month.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said he was
disappointed by the sentence Vishal Jagota received.
"Plain and simple, he and his family imprisoned this young victim
for three years," he said in a statement.
Prosecutors alleged that the Jagota family used intimidation, and
physical and sexual abuse to force the victim, now 25 years old,
to work round-the-clock in their home.
On one occasion, Jagota's mother and sister burned the victim's
hand with a hot iron because they didn't like the way she had done
the laundry, they said.
|
Comments
|
Quick links