2 Indians indicted

OAKLAND, FEB. 3. A wealthy Indian landlord and his son have been indicted on charges that they had conspired to illegally bring young women from India to San Fransisco to serve as cheap labour or sex slaves, their lawyers have said.

Lakireddy Bali Reddy, 62, and his 30-year-old son, Vijay Lakireddy, were released on bail yesterday and are to appear in the Oakland Federal Court on Monday.Lakireddy will plead not guilty, his Attorney, Mr. Ted Cassman, told presspersons after the indictment was returned.

Reddy and his son allegedly falsified visa applications to import young men and women from Velvadam in South India.

Vijay Reddy operates a Berkeley company named Active Tech Solutions, and the immigrants were brought to California on the pretext that they were skilled workers needed by the company, according to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Berkeley police say Active Tech was being used as a facade and that most Indian immigrants were put to work on low-paying jobs at Reddy's restaurants or rental properties.

- AFP

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Section  : International
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