9 Indian (Immigrant) Women File $100 million suit against sex trade (Oakland, CA)

Hindustan Times ^ | November 3, 2002 | Press Trust Of India

[Red Jones]

9 Indian women file $100 mn suit against sex trade Press Trust of India Silicon Valley, November 03

Nine young Indian women have filed a $100 million lawsuit against a wealthy Indian-American landlord and restaurateur and his two sons for allegedly smuggling them into the country and forcing them to have sex and provide cheap labour.

The 74-page civil complaint on behalf of the women in the age group ranging from 17 to mid 20s, filed in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland last week, accuses Lakireddy Bali Reddy, 65, and four of his relatives of taking part in an international criminal conspiracy of sex trafficking and forced labour.

"Our suit aims to dismantle the sex traffickers' criminal empire in the Bay Area and India," said Michael Rubin, a San Francisco lawyer representing the women, who were referred to as Jane Does in court documents, the San Jose Mercury newspaper reported.

Hearings in the case begin next month.

Lakireddy Bali Reddy is already serving an eight year term for his role in a scheme to illegally bring young village women from Velvadam in Andhra Pradesh to the Bay Area to work at his apartment complex, restaurants and construction sites.

The women were also forced to have sex with Reddy and his sons, the paper said. Last year, Reddy paid $2 million to four victims, after pleading guilty to two counts of transporting minors for illegal sex.

His son Vijay Lakireddy is awaiting sentencing on immigration fraud, and another son, Prasad Lakireddy is scheduled to go to trial in January on federal charges stemming from the scheme.

[Red Jones]

I'm not sure if this fellow was bringing these women in legally or illegally.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was h1b or h2a or some similar program the indian-american was taking advantage of. You would be surprised how this program is used. I checked a database for my city for h1b visas. I found that right where I live, a city of a half million, they've brought in a bricklayer, carpenter, stucco applicator and a carpet layer for different subcontractors, as well as construction manager for general contractor, as well as cook at chinese buffet, numerous mexican restaurant cooks, dozens of stable attendants, 1 personal assistant, numerous financial analysts, business analysts, accountants, business managers, a college professor, some physical therapists and nurses and of course dozens of programmers, computer people and engineers. It was really hundreds and hundreds of imports to do all kinds of jobs. So, this fellow could've smuggled people under the table. More likely he filled out paperwork legally and merely committed fraud as to what the women were for. So, h1b can even drive down prostitute wages. So, if we really are 'for the children', then we should think about that american prostitute's wages and want to protect them and stop programs like this.

[Red Jones]

This case is a good example of why we need tort reform.

[Red Jones]

bump

[dennisw]

http://www.shameh1b.zazona.com/LCA-Data/AdvQuery.asp


Try the above search. Look under various food preparation categories and h2b.

[thegreatbeast]

This is a good example as to why we have to close ALL immigration to this country until we can figure out something that works (for us).

[toddst]

This is a good example as to why we have to close ALL immigration to this country until we can figure out something that works (for us).

10-4 on close it all down, THEN sort out what can be managed to provide us wth real protection and keep the scumbags out.

[RodgerD]

The United States had one hundred years of freedom from slavery, from the end of the Civil War in 1865 until the re-introduction of slavery through the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.

[Red Jones]

Some people who've chosen to abuse our immigration laws have done this, bring people in as virtual slaves and claim they're doing landscaping or something else. My guess is that's what happened here.

But it should make us question those programs. If these women were used in this manner because of a system that encourages this abuse, then what about the oters. If a restaurant needs a cook, can't they just hire someone from an american culinary institute or train someone themselves rather than import someone. They're importing people claiming they can't find anyone to cook this food or that food, then they've got a slave who can't switch jobs for 6 years, feels compelled to work lots of overtime and will do anything to get that citizenship. This is the republicans' idea of saving the economy. George Bush says he must match up willing workers with willing jobs.

If you need a personal attendant or a person to fill any job, you can just hire a lawyer, fill out some paperwork and bring in a hand-picked person from bombay, shanghai or ethiopia.

[Francohio]

Thank you for making this legal source of hard-to-find technical personnel public!

Goodness knows one could never find an unemployed American to fill these tricky technical posts. Stucco Applicator, Carpet Layer, Cook, Prostitute: these trades are way beyond the innate abilities of ordinary Americans.

[Red Jones]

You're quite welcome. And here is a link, you can search in your city to see who's imported labor to fill what jobs in your city.

http://www.zazona.com/LCA-Data/AdvQuery.asp

as everyone knows, there is a big shortage of all kinds of labor inside the US.

[BlazingArizona]

Nine young Indian women have filed a $100 million lawsuit against a wealthy Indian-American landlord and restaurateur and his two sons for allegedly smuggling them into the country and forcing them to have sex and provide cheap labour.

It was either that, or get a minimum-wage job coding C++.

[dark_lord]

And here's my vote for the low wage winner:
Data Entry Clerk -H-2B- PAUL SHEARMAN ALLEN & ASSOCIATES WASHINGTON DC 1 $6.5 H 1/4/1999 N/A
This means in DC this company got some poor alien flunky to do data entry at $6.50 an hour - in one of the most expensive cities in America. The date given is the start date, the N/A means the end date is "not applicable". At that wage in that city I wonder where they're living...under a bridge? In a dumpster?

[ChadGore]

WIN ONE FOR THE GIPPER

Vote on Tuesday.

Do the right thing.

[B4Ranch]

Can You Help America?