An Indian American couple, accused of enslaving and torturing two Indonesian maids, was on Wednesday allowed to post a $3.5 million bail under strict conditions, including home detention and 24-hour surveillance.
A US Federal Judge, while allowing the posting of the couple's bail application, put strict conditions which would not permit them to leave the house except for visiting doctor, attorneys and church.
The movements of Varsha Mahender Sabhnani, 35, and her husband Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51, will be electronically monitored and they will be under 24-hour surveillance.
The bail amount includes $2.5 million for Versha 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 prosecutors and defense attorneys will now work out the exact working details of the security arrangements and the US District Court Justice Thomas Platt had given them until Friday to do so.
The multimillionaire couple, who runs successful perfume business from their posh home, was arrested after one of the women was found wandering near a fast food restaurant with only pants and a towel.
The employees of the restaurant called the police which took her statement through an interpreter and then searched the house and found the other woman.
Prosecutors have alleged in the court that Varsha Sabhnani's relatives offered a $28,000 bribe to son of one of the women if she does not pursue the case. A statement by her son was introduced in the court.
In the sworn statement, Leo Dwinanto, the son of Samirah, says Varsha Sabhnani's mother, who lives in Indonesia, threatened to have his mother killed after she complained to him about her treatment.
The prosecution alleges that the women were beaten and one was cut behind the ear for what their employers perceived to be their mistakes. One of them was forced eat hot chilies, go up and down the stairs several times and take cold water showers by their employer.
