Horrifying Tale of Indian In-Laws’ Brutality on Indian American Bride

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New City – The marriage to an NRI (non-resident Indian) and migration to the United States opened the gates of hell for a newly married girl from India, as she was tortured and abused by her family in the US, according to the court documents released in New City.

“Simply put, this is a tragic case of modern-day slavery. The victim was physically assaulted, psychologically coerced and fearful of reporting the often-daily abuse to authorities,” said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugib about the case, which marked the first indictments, trial and convictions under New York State’s new human trafficking law.

According to court documents, Rajani Jagota, along with her mother, Parveen Jagota, engaged in a scheme using intimidation, physical abuse and manipulation to force the victim to work as a round-the-clock servant, performing a variety of household chores, cooking, child care and other tasks under threats of violence.

The documents stated that when the victim threatened to contact authorities, the defendants vowed to concoct wild stories, accusing her of committing various types of crime.

On one occasion, Parveen Jagota and Rajani Jagota burned the victim’s hand with a hot iron in order to “teach her a lesson,” following their displeasure with her ironing skills. Rajani Jagota, the victim’s sister-in-law, forbade the victim from receiving medical treatment for the serious burn, telling her to treat the open wound with toothpaste.

The victim, now 25-years-old, is an Indian citizen who was brought to the United States through an arranged marriage with Vishal Jagota of New City, New York.

The victim was forced to face her captors for nearly three years, beginning shortly after her arrival in Rockland County in January 2008 until September 2010

“Despite relentless exploitation, trapped in dehumanizing conditions, the victim in this case exhibited enormous strength by coming forward and participating in the prosecution of her captors. Victims of human trafficking rarely break free. When they do, most are too wary of authorities to detail their personal nightmare. Hopefully, this case has raised awareness of the plight of people caught in the dark world of modern-day slavery,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Arthur J. Ferraro.

Parveen Jagota is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2012. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Amanda Doty and Chief Assistant District Attorney Arthur J. Ferraro. (IATNS)

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