3 Telugu NRIs Convicted For Torturing Student In USA

Three Telugu origin individuals living in the Missouri state of USA have been convicted over charges of forced labor and human trafficking case involving a Telugu student. The prime accused Venkatesh Sattaru got 50 months in prison, while his friends Nikhil Penmatsa and Sravan Penumetcha were sentenced to 37 months and 30 months of jail life respectively.

The incident of crime dates back to 2022. The trio forced a 20-year-old student from Andhra Pradesh to work like a slave while facing extreme physical abuse. The disturbing incident first came to light in late 2023 when a concerned citizen noticed suspicious activity and alerted local police officers.

Investigators found that the victim, who is Venkatesh Sattaru’s own cousin, came from India for studies but ended up trapped in a house. He was locked inside basements across three different locations for nearly seven months and made to do household chores.

They also confiscated his legal immigration papers, restricted his food, denied bathroom access, and caused severe sleep deprivation. He also suffered frequent physical torture, which left him with serious physical injuries and significant body weight loss.

The court ordered all three men to serve their prison terms and face strict legal penalties. The sentencing news has sent massive shockwaves across the Telugu NRI community and the Indian diaspora in the United States as the case was a big sensation when it went viral through social media platforms and news outlets at that time .