Indian-American couple seeks fair trial

Lawyers for an Indian-American couple, accused of enslaving and torturing their Indonesian housemaids, have moved a US court arguing that their clients did not get a fair trial.

The lawyers of Varsha Sabhnani and her husband Mahender Sabhnani, put their arguments before the three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeal in Manhattan, asking for their convictions to be overturned.

Varsha's lawyer argued that the publicity prevented her from getting a fair trial and Mahender's attorney sought reversal of the conviction on the ground that he was not actively involved in the torture of the

two women.

Varsha was convicted of torturing the two women and sent to prison for 11 years.

Mahender, who did not take active part in the torture but did not stop his wife, was sentenced to 40 months in prison.

Mahender's lawyer Alan Dershowitz contended that his client's conviction on abetting his wife required active participation in the crime.

Assistant US Attorney Monica Ryan said that the Sabhnanis had received a fair trial.

The couple was convicted in December 2007 after testimony from two women Enung and Samirah on the torture during their employment with the Sabhnanis.