 |
| 3 Missouri Men Charged in Abuse of Indian College Student Kept as Slave |
news |
12/01/2023 11:45 AM |
A 20-year-old Indian student was viciously beaten, forced to conduct menial labor and kept in slavery conditions by a cousin in Defiance, Missouri, as well as two other local men, prosecutors said today.
St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph McCulloch gave details this afternoon about the ordeal the young man, an Indian national, experienced. McCulloch said the victim managed to escape from captivity yesterday — and ran from the home "yelling, screaming for help.”
McCulloch described the young man’s cousin, Venkatesh R. Sattaru, 35, as the "main target" of the investigation. Sattaru is now facing six felonies, including trafficking for the purposes of slavery and abuse through forced labor. Sattaru's address is listed as being in O'Fallon, Missouri, in court records. He is the cousin of the victim, whose name is not being made public.
McCulloch said that Sattaru would call the other two defendants in the case and instruct them to beat the 20-year-old over a livestream. If the victim did not scream loud enough, Sattaru would tell them to beat him harder. "I don't know how much more animalistic type of behavior you can get than that," McCulloch said.
Sattauru’s two co-defendants are Sravan Penumetcha, 23, and Nikhil V. Penmatsa, 27. The two men both have the same address in Defiance.
Booking photo for Nikhil Penmasta, being held without bond in the St. Charles County Jail.
Courtesy St. Charles County Jail
Booking photo for Nikhil Penmasta, being held without bond in the St. Charles County Jail.
It was at that home in Defiance where the alleged forced labor and beatings occurred. The 20-year-old traveled from India to Missouri to study at Missouri S&T, McCulloch said. The victim initially understood that the men who became his captors would sponsor him for his student visa. The charges allege that at some point between April and November of this year Sattaru destroyed the young man’s passport.
The victim has told authorities he was fed very little and slept for as little as three hours a night on a concrete floor in an unfinished basement that was monitored by video surveillance. He was forced to work for Sattaru's IT company as well as give him massages.
"He was never left alone. He was always in the presence of somebody, one of the three defendants here," McCulloch said. "While he was allowed to call his mother back home, he was only allowed to call her in their presence and it was only allowed to be a phone call. There was never any video calls, never any FaceTime. That was not allowed."
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the victim has told authorities that Sattaru is "a wealthy, powerful man in India with political and law enforcement connections." Because of this, the victim was afraid to speak out against him.
Booking photo for Sravan Penumetcha, currently in the St. Charles County Jail.
Courtesy St. Charles County Jail
Booking photo for Sravan Penumetcha, currently in the St. Charles County Jail.
Then, yesterday, a neighbor called the police asking for a wellness check for the 20-year-old. When police arrived, they were initially denied entry into the home where the 20-year-old was being held. But as officers considered their plan of action, McCulloch says the victim ran out of the home. McCulloch said bruises and swelling covered his body and that he is currently receiving medical treatment for numerous broken bones and open wounds.
A St. Charles detective said at this afternoon's press conference that the 20-year-old has been in touch with his family back home.
"They're aware of what's going on. And they're aware that he's in a safe place now and he's seeking medical treatment," the detective said.
Reply
|
|
|
