Current:Home > NewsMissouri prosecutor accuses 3 men of holding student from India captive and beating him -AssetTrainer
Missouri prosecutor accuses 3 men of holding student from India captive and beating him
View
Date:2025-04-14 08:54:58
ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) — Three men held a student from India captive over the course of several months and forced him to work and perform menial tasks, then viciously beat him when he didn’t complete the chores to their satisfaction, a Missouri prosecutor said Thursday.
St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph McCulloch announced charges against Venkutesh Sattaru, 35; Nikhil Penmatsa, 27; and Sravan Penumetcha, 23. All three face counts related to human trafficking, kidnapping and other crimes. They are jailed without bond and don’t have attorneys listed yet.
The 20-year-old victim is hospitalized with a broken nose, broken ribs and bones in his hands and feet, and severe injuries from being punched, stomped on and beaten with pipes and a wire that left him scarred “from the top of his head literally to the bottom of his feet,” McCulloch said.
Authorities said the victim is the cousin of Sattaru, who owns an information technology company. The student came to the U.S. about a year ago to attend college but instead was forced to work at the company and perform other tasks demanded by the suspects, McCulloch said.
He was kept at various times in the basements of three homes without adequate food and water, and with no bathroom, authorities said.
The victim was discovered by police after a neighbor of one of the homes in the small rural town of Defiance, Missouri, asked police to perform a wellness check. As officers were at the home this week, the victim “ran out of the house yelling, screaming for help,” McCulloch said.
Charging documents say that the victim told police he feared he would be killed if he told anyone about the abuse because Sattaru is wealthy with deep connections in India, and the other men also are wealthy.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- DeSantis goes after Trump on abortion, COVID-19 and the border wall in an Iowa town hall
- Newest, bluest resort on Las Vegas Strip aims to bring Miami Beach vibe to southern Nevada
- Bear! Skier narrowly escapes crashing into bear on Tahoe slope: Watch video
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- FBI to exhume woman’s body from unsolved 1969 killing in Netflix’s ‘The Keepers’
- Missiles from rebel territory in Yemen miss a ship near the key Bab el-Mandeb Strait
- Missiles from rebel territory in Yemen miss a ship near the key Bab el-Mandeb Strait
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Natalia Grace, Orphan Accused of Trying to Kill Adoptive Parents, Speaks Out in Chilling Docuseries
Ranking
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- China’s Xi meets with Vietnamese prime minister on second day of visit to shore up ties
- Parent and consumer groups warn against 'naughty tech toys'
- Why Bella Thorne Is Trying to Hide Battery Packs in Her Hair for Mark Emms Wedding
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Zara says it regrets ad that critics said resembled images from Gaza
- House panel urges tougher trade rules for China, raising chance of more tariffs if Congress agrees
- Norfolk, Virginia, approves military-themed brewery despite some community pushback
Recommendation
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
Why Dakota Johnson Can Easily Sleep 14 Hours a Day
What to do if someone gets you a gift and you didn't get them one? Expert etiquette tips
Turkish referee leaves hospital after attack by club president that halted all matches
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Virginia sheriff’s office says Tesla was running on Autopilot moments before tractor-trailer crash
Man arrested in Washington state after detective made false statements gets $225,000 settlement
This woman waited 4 hours to try CosMc's. Here's what she thought of McDonald's new concept.