A student from India was held captive, beaten up, and forced into labor in the US without any basic amenities for almost a year, reports have said.
The victim, whose name was not disclosed by the authorities, was forced to spend months working as a laborer at three different homes in the US state of Missouri, they said.
The stundent scavenged for scraps in nearby restaurant dumpsters and was beaten with electrical wires, PVC pipes, metal rods, wooden boards, sticks and a water supply hose of a washing machine, they said.
He was also forced to sleep in an unfinished basement and limited his access to the public and to restrooms.
The reports quoting the authorities said the student had come to the US from India last year with hopes of studying at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, but he was abducted and forced into labor.
"If the 20-year-old didn’t complete the tasks properly, he was severely beaten," the reports, quoting the local police, said.
Finally, the student was rescued and was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. The offenders were held by the police, the reports said.
The police arrested Venkatesh R Sattaru, Sravan Varma Penumetcha, and Nikhil Verma Penmatsa and filed charges against them for crimes that include human trafficking, kidnapping, and assault.