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Smells Bad

This did not happen in the 1800s. This happened in the 21st century

By LIFS January 9, 2008 at 9:48 AM
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A Long Island Indian millionaire couple has been convicted of what prosecutors called a case of "modern day slavery."

Varshana and Mahnder Sabhnani, an international perfume mogul, face up to 40 years in prison and the loss of their elegant multimillion-dollar mansion, which prosecutors claim, was a torture chamber for five years.

 
Police exhibits showing wounds inflicted on one of the maids
At the trial, their two Indonesian domestic maids testified through interpreters that they were beaten with brooms, slashed with knives, forced to take freezing showers and repeatedly climb stairs as punishment. One maid claimed she was forced to eat a dozen hot chilies and then eat her vomit when she could not keep them down. The maids were paid a meager $100 to $150 a month and their passports confiscated by the Sabhnanis.

In his closing argument, the prosecutor told jurors: "This did not happen in the 1800s. This happened in the 21st century. This happened in Muttontown, New York."

The maids' plight was discovered only after one of them wandered into a Dunkin Donut, where employees called police. 

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January 2008 | Odds & Ends | Magazine

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