The Tribune (India)

Bail for NRI in slaves’ case

OAKLAND, Feb 4 (AFP) — A wealthy Indian landlord and his son have been indicted on charges that they conspired to illegally bring young women from India to San Francisco to serve as cheap labour or sex slaves, their lawyers have said.

Lakireddy Bali Reddy, 62, and his 30-year-old son, Vijay Lakireddy, were out on bail on Wednesday and are to appear in Oakland federal court on Monday to be arraigned on the charges listed in the indictment.

"Reddy will appear in court on Monday and plead not guilty," his attorney, Ted Cassman, told reporters after the indictment was returned.

Reddy and his son allegedly falsified visa applications to import young men and women from Velvadam in South India.

Vijay Reddy operates a Berkeley-based company named Active Tech Solutions, and the immigrants were brought to California on the pretext that they were skilled workers needed by the company, according to the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service.

Berkeley police say Active Tech was a facade and that most Indian immigrants were put to work in low-paying jobs at Reddy’s restaurants or rental properties.