The Indian American couple charged with enslaving and torturing two Indonesian maids is still in jail after a United States court found that the bail agreement worked out by the prosecution and defence lawyers was inadequate.
US District court judge Thomas Platt told the prosecution and defence lawyers on Monday that he was not satisfied with the bail agreement and fixed the next hearing for Wednesday.
Earlier the judge had allowed 35-year-old Varsha Mahender Sabhnani and her husband Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, to post a $3.5 million bail application under strict conditions, including electronic monitoring, 24-hour surveillance and their confinement in their mansion except to meet attorneys, doctors and visit to temple.
The bail amount included $2.5 million for Varsha who was accused of actually torturing the Indonesian women and $1 million for Mahender who was accused of allowing the torture to take place.
The judge had given the prosecution and defence teams until Friday to work out the details including surveillance procedure.
The surveillance procedure agreed by both defence and prosecution lawyers did not satisfy the judge when the parties presented the arrangement to him.
The judge wants the security to be further strengthened He also wants posting of the police officers outside mansion. The parties had agreed to put the security in the basement.
Under the conditions set, all expenses incurred by the state on the detention will be paid for by the couple.
Besides, no one will be allowed to take messages and packages for and from them, and their four children, three daughters and one son, will be searched each time they come in or go out of the house.
If food is to be delivered, it can only be done by a delivery person.
Sabhnanis will have to bear all expenses the State incurs on their security arrangements and by some estimates, they will cost around $5000 per day.
The Sabhnanis were arrested after one of the women was found wandering near a fast food restaurant wearing only pants and towel and the employees called the police which later found the other woman.
They were alleged to have been beaten and scalded, among other things, as punishment for what the couple perceived were mistakes.