Millionaires to lose mansion over slave servants

A millionaire couple convicted of enslaving and abusing their two Indonesian housekeepers must forfeit their mansion to the US government.

A jury convicted Mahender and Varsha Sabhnani of imprisoning and torturing the women, whom they had brought to the US to work as housekeepers in their house in Muttontown, New York.

The jury determined that the 5,898 sq ft Sabhnani home on Long Island’s Gold Coast was used in the commission of a crime.

The American government can now seize the home, where the couple operated a worldwide perfume business.

The Sabhanis, who were convicted on Monday, face prison terms of up to 40 years each. Defence lawyers say they plan to appeal against the verdict.

The victims said they were beaten with brooms and umbrellas, slashed with knives, and forced to climb stairs and take freezing cold showers.