Still no deal on Muttontown couple's bail

The Muttontown couple accused of enslaving two Indonesian women remained behind bars Friday after their bail package was, once again, not accepted by Judge Thomas Platt at Central Islip's federal court.

News 12 Staff

Jul 13, 2007, 10:24 PM

Updated 6,265 days ago

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The Muttontown couple accused of enslaving two Indonesian women remained behind bars Friday after their bail package was, once again, not accepted by Judge Thomas Platt at Central Islip's federal court.
Varsha and Mahender Sabhnani have been in jail for 60 days while terms of the complex, $4.5 million house-arrest bail package are being finalized.
"We are spending a lot of time on the bail application and we would like to put it towards the more important issues of having them acquitted," Mahender Sabhnani's attorney, Stephen Scaring, said.
On separate occassions, bail for the Sabhnanis was granted and removed before an appeals court re-instated it. The couple has agreed to pay thousands of dollars monthly for phone taps and armed security guards for their home detention.
Platt blamed defense attorneys and federal prosecutors for not hammering out the details, saying, "We've been sitting here since mid-May in bail hearing, and that's all because of you."
The Sabhnanis' attorneys said their clients could be granted provisional freedom in two to three days at the earliest. Trial is scheduled to start September 10.
Related Information: Accused Muttontown slaveholders may get bail Bail denied in Muttontown slavery case