Slavery case: Court awards $1.5m damages

Mar 22, 2012 - Yoshita Singh |

New York

An Indian maid — who had accused her former employer, an IFS officer, and her husband of harassment and “slavery” — has received a favourable ruling from a US court, which approved her petition that she be awarded $1.5 million as compensation by the couple.

In his order, United States district judge Victor Marrero “adopted in entirety” the report of US Magistrate Judge Frank Maas in which Judge Maas had recommended that Shanti Gurung be paid $1.5 million as compensation for the “barbaric treatment” and “emotional distress” Neena Malhotra and her husband Jogesh Malhotra caused her when she was employed as their domestic help for three years since 2006.
“The application of plaintiff Shanti Gurung for an award of damages is granted; accordingly, judgment is entered in favour of Gurung and against defendants Jogesh Malhotra and Neena Malhotra in an amount of $1,458,335 in accordance with the calculations and breakdown of that amount set forth in the report,” Judge Marrero said in his ruling.
He also ordered that the case is now closed.
He said the court is not required to review any portion of a magistrate judge’s report that is not the subject of an objection.

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