India Express February 3, 2000
Reddy to plead not guilty to bringing sex slaves from India



Lakhireddy Bali Reddy, an Indian landlord, and his son have been indicted by a US court on charges of conspiracy to illegally import sex slave workers from India.

Sixty-two year old Reddy and his 30-year-old son Vijay were found guilty by the court of conspiring to illegally bring young women from India to the San Francisco area of the United States to serve as cheap labor or sex slaves.

The duo, who used false visa applications to bring young men and women into the country from Velvadam area of south India, were freed on bail but have been summoned before the Oakland (California) federal court on Monday to be arraigned on the charges listed in the indictment.

Reddy has been charged with transporting minors for illegal sexual activity and importing and harboring aliens for immoral purposes.

Reddy's attorney Ted Cassman told reporters in Oakland after the indictment that he would plead not guilty.

According to the US Immigration and Naturalization Service, Vijay Reddy was operating a Berkeley company named Active Tech Solutions, and the immigrants were brought to California on the pretext that they were skilled workers needed by the company.

Police said Active Tech was being used as a cover and most of the Indian immigrants were made to work at Reddy’s restaurants or rental properties.