June 26 :
The Eastern District of Virginia handed down a penalty of three years' labour to an Indian-origin Sikh couple on June 25 for their role in the three-year forced labour scandal at their petrol station and convenience shop. Their marriage has ended in divorce. The sentences for Harmanpreet Singh, 31, and Kulbir Kaur, 43, are 135 and 87 months, respectively. The victim also has to pay Singh and Kaur $225,210.76 in reparations, according to the court.
The victim was enticed to the United States by the defendants, who used their friendship with him to make false promises about helping him register in school, according to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Clarke elaborated by saying the couple had taken the victim's immigration paperwork and manipulated him into working excessive hours for low pay using physical force, threats, and psychological abuse. Clarke argues that this line makes it quite obvious that the use of forced labour is completely unacceptable. To safeguard survivors and ensure that those responsible for trafficking in humans are held responsible for taking advantage of defenceless people, he stressed that the Justice Department will not rest until it enforces human trafficking statutes.
According to US Attorney Jessica D Aber, the defendants' offences go beyond breaking the law; they constitute a grave offence against humanity. Those accused took advantage of the victim because he was sincere about wanting to better his life through education. All they did was take away his freedom and deny him access to even the most fundamental human necessities. The pursuit of justice for those harmed by human trafficking is an issue that will never waver from our focus.
"The FBI will continue to work in all communities to stop forced labour trafficking and the psychological and physical violence that comes with it," stated Michael Nordwall, Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division.
As a major legal development, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Virginia found Singh and Kaur guilty of various counts following a two-week trial in January. These accusations included conspiracy to perform forced labour, forced labour itself, harbouring for financial advantage, and paper servitude. Disturbing aspects of exploitation and coercion were disclosed in the case, which originated in 2018.
Trial evidence revealed that Singh and Kaur lured Singh's juvenile cousin to come to the US from India with the promise of financial aid for her education. From March 2018 until May 2021, the defendants forced the victim to work unpaid at Singh's store and took his immigration documents.
The victim allegedly worked long hours under constant threat and pressure, cleaning, cooking, stocking inventory, and operating the cash register, all while subjected to horrific working conditions. Physical aggression, threats of violence, and controlling living conditions, including medical treatment and food deprivation, were among the coercive techniques used by the pair.
In addition, there were cases where the victim was kept in a back office for days, watched, and deprived of basic rights like schooling and the chance to go back to his own country. The perpetrators coerced the victim into marrying Kaur and threatened him and his family with consequences such as false accusations or property seizures if he tried to flee.
A number of alarming incidents of physical violence committed by Singh against the victim were detailed during the trial. These included repeated instances of threatening the victim with a firearm in order to discourage him from taking leave or seeking assistance, as well as slapping, kicking, and pulling his hair. Human trafficking and forced labour are serious problems, and this decision highlights the importance of strong law enforcement and safeguards to prevent exploitation in marginalised groups.
