NRI couple guilty of 'modern day slavery'

NEW YORK: A millionaire Indian-American couple were on Monday convicted of 'modern-day slavery' for subjecting two Indonesian housemaids to repeated psychological and physical abuse in their New York mansion.

India-born Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, and his wife, Indonesian-born Varsha, 45, could face up to 40 years in prison after both were each convicted in a 12-count federal indictment that included forced labour, conspiracy, involuntary servitude and harboring aliens.

The allegations against the couple included forcing the Indonesian maids, known as Samirah and Enung, to work 18 hours or more a day, beatings with brooms and umbrellas, slashings with knives and being made to repeatedly climb stairs and take freezing showers.

One of the couple's daughters fainted while the jury's verdict was being read out, prompting the judge to clear the courtroom while she was given medical attention.