DEFIANCE, Mo. — Three men accused in a human trafficking case joined a St. Charles County courtroom via audio Thursday morning seeking a bond reduction.
Thirty-five-year-old Venkatesh Reddy Sattaru, 27-year-old Nikhil V. Penmatsa, and 23-year-old Sravan Penumetcha are facing multiple felonies. They're accused of keeping a 20-year-old man from India captive for months.
The victim came to America from India on a student visa to attend Missouri S&T but instead was forced to perform daily chores, work for an IT company owned by Sattaru, perform massages and was only allowed to sleep for three hours each day on a concrete floor while being watched on a live stream.
A judge ruled that all three suspects will remain in custody without bond. They are due back in court next week. All three pleaded not guilty last week.
St. Charles County police said the victim in this case has been released from the hospital. St. Charles County Prosecutor Joe McCullough said the victim had broken bones from head to toe.
McCulloch said all three are being held without bond due to concerns that they could flee the country. Venkatesh Reddy Sattaru describes him as a member of a "renowned family with a business background and immense knowledge of business management."
Investigators said those connections made it even more difficult for the victim, believed to be his cousin, to escape.
According to court documents, the victim in the case told investigators that Sattaru was wealthy and a powerful man in India.
He allegedly has political and law enforcement connections overseas.