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‘This is Squid Game’: Indian H-1B visa holder sues US employer for labor exploitation, wage theft
An Indian tech professional has sued his US employer, alleging coerced labor and wage theft linked to caste discrimination.
An Indian technology professional holding an H-1B visa has initiated legal action against his employer in the United States, alleging that the company and its CEO of Indian descent have ensnared him in a situation of coerced labor, wage theft, and exploitation based on caste, as reported by California-based news outlet Breitbart News.
The firm had also pledged to support the application for a Green Card for the tech professional, Amrutesh Vallabhaneni, but instead utilized this promise to coerce him into agreeing to its conditions, threatening him with deportation should he fail to comply, as stated in the lawsuit.
‘This resembles a Squid Game,’ says Jay Palmer
“For Indian workers, this resembles a Squid Game where the primary objective is to remain in America,” stated Jay Palmer, a consultant who assisted in preparing the lawsuit for Vallabhaneni, in an interview with Breitbart News.
“The culture is extremely exploitative,” Palmer remarked, further noting, “Indian CEOs bring the caste-discrimination politics from their home country into workplaces in the United States.” According to the report, Palmer is a specialist in labor trafficking who has uncovered numerous crimes and scandals.
Indian tech worker alleges wage theft and coercion against SiriSoft
Vallabhaneni was assured an H-1B visa by SiriSoft in return for his labor, and the company promptly assigned him to contracts with other firms at wages determined by the government. The lawsuit asserts, "Forced labor, labor trafficking, and the retention of visa documents are criminal offenses."
The company has not yet replied to Breitbart's inquiries regarding the allegations and the lawsuit.
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Here's what lawsuit seeks
The lawsuit demands compensation and legal fees from the company.
“Nevertheless, it appears they are Defendant Siri Software Solutions, LLC's business model These reprehensible actions constitute forced labor and labor trafficking (via the H-1B visa programme). Plaintiff demands a jury trial to recover all damages and reasonable attorney's fees,” it read.
Amrutesh Vallabhaneni entered US on F-1 visa
Amrutesh Vallabhaneni, who went to the US on an F-1 student visa in 2015 after borrowing money to attend college, alleges that Siri Software Solutions, LLC (SiriSoft) and its owner, Pavan Tata, "weaponised the H-1B programme" to extract payments and overwork him.
After completing his studies, he agreed to work at a New Jersey company called E-Content, which was not required to pay him much of a salary. The pay and conditions of that stint are not detailed in the lawsuit, which says he moved to SiriSoft in 2018.
He became a part of SiriSoft due to its commitment to promote him to the next level: an H-1B nomination, which would grant him an additional three years of work authorization. The H-1B visa holds greater significance than a standard work permit as it enables migrants to qualify for green cards if their employers submit a nomination on their behalf, as reported by Breitbart News.
The lawsuit claimed that the company violated legal regulations by not compensating Vallabhaneni with the mandated prevailing wage and by requiring him to cover his own salary for a duration of six months.
Vallabhaneni was not allowed to leave SiriSoft
In spite of these obvious infractions, Vallabhaneni was not permitted to depart from SiriSoft, as the company threatened to revoke his H-1B visa should he fail to adhere to their illegal demands, the lawsuit states.
Furthermore, the organization assured Vallabhaneni that it would support his green card application, yet utilized this promise as leverage to coerce him into agreeing to their conditions, cautioning that he would be required to exit the United States if he did not comply.
Despite receiving a guaranteed wage from the Department of Labour, the technician asserted that he frequently earned just enough to cover rent and essential expenses. The irregular payments resulted in his health insurance lapsing, caused missed credit payments, and deprived him and his wife of necessary medical care—even during a serious leg injury, he stated. The Breitbart report indicated that Vallabhaneni was still employed by the company while he awaited his Green Card.
