A Clarkstown mother and daughter duo who forced an Indian immigrant into slave-like labor conditions under duress will both be serving two to three years in state prison, Rockland officials announced Tuesday.
Parveen Jagota, a 59-year-old New City resident living at 28 Butternut Drive, forced the 25-year-old victim—an Indian citizen who came to the United States to wed Jagota's son—to carry out household work without respite and under grueling conditions.
"The defendant and her daughter, [32-year-old] Rajani Jagota, engaged in a scheme, using intimidation, physical abuse and manipulation to force the victim to work as a round-the-clock servant, performing a variety of household chores, cooking, child care and other tasks under threats of violence," said Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe.
Parveen Jagota was found guilty on two counts of labor trafficking and one count of assault in the second degree, all felonies.
And today, a Rockland County Supreme Court Justice sentenced her to three years in state prison for the labor trafficking counts and and two years in state prison for the assault counts. The sentences will run simultaneously, authorities said.
Rajani Jagota is currently behind bars after being found guilty of the same crimes.
The victim threatened to go to police during her period of enslavement, Zugibe said, but Parveen Jagota and her daughter browbeat the young woman, threatening to accuse her of fictional crimes in retaliation.
The victim lived under her captor's noses for nearly three years, from January 2008 to September 2010. Zugibe said this case marks the first indictment, trial and convictions under New York State's newly-minted human trafficking laws.
