Human trafficking suspects waive preliminary exam

THREE RIVERS – Two Three Rivers residents have been bound over to trial in St. Joseph County on human trafficking allegations they forced a woman to work without pay over a period of approximately eight years.

Ikbahl Singh Machhal, 40, and Shila Devi, 66, waived preliminary examination May 21, and are set to stand trial on one count each of human trafficking – forced labor and one count of human trafficking enterprise, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. Each count is a 10-year felony.

The defendants, who were charged in April, allegedly began trafficking the victim 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 at 214 E. Broadway St. in Three Rivers. Shortly after arriving in Michigan, the victim began working at the convenience store, allegedly never receiving payment for her labor. 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 department alleges the conditions continued for approximately eight years until the victim was able to leave her home with the assistance 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. “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."

As of Wednesday, a date had not been set for the pair's next court appearance. The store in Three Rivers remains closed.

Victims of human trafficking or those who have identified someone they think may need help can contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll-free at 888-373-7888 or text 233733. The resources accepts 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.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Human trafficking suspects waive preliminary exam