(WWJ) — Two people accused of forcing a woman to work for free at a West Michigan convenience store for nearly a decade have been ordered to trial.
Ikbahl Machhal and Shila Devia of Three Rivers on Tuesday were bound over to stand trial in St. Joseph County on charges of human trafficking – forced labor and human trafficking enterprise, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday.
Singh, 40, and Devi, 66, who were charged last month, allegedly began trafficking a then-21-year-old woman in 2012 when they forced her to move from Pennsylvania to Michigan when her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Devi, came to own the Broadway Market in Three Rivers, about 30 miles south of Kalamazoo.
Shortly after they arrived in Michigan, the victim began working at the convenience store, allegedly never receiving payment for her labor, according to the AG's office.
The defendants are accused of "requiring the victim to work 8 to 9 hours a day, 7 days a week, against her will and under threat of severe physical, mental, and emotional abuse."
The AG's office alleges this continued for about eight years until the victim was able to leave her home with the help of the YWCA Kalamazoo and local law enforcement in October 2020 following domestic violence charges against her husband, Machhal.
"For years, the victim in this case endured immense suffering while she was held in servitude," Nessel said Wednesday, per a press release. "Her bravery in coming forward is truly inspiring. I am grateful for the victim's courage and the collaboration between local and federal agencies and my department that allowed the case to move forward."
A date has not been set for their next court appearance.
A third defendant, 67-year-old Kartar Chand, was charged along with the others in April, but has not been arrested. Authorities said last month it is believed Chand has fled to India.
Victims of human trafficking or those who have identified someone they think may need help can contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-373-7888 or text 233733. This is a national, toll-free hotline, that is available to answer calls, texts, and chats from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. All calls are confidential.
