A Manitoba hotel owner accused of exploiting four employees from India has been granted bail following a court appearance in Winnipeg.
Jai Inder Sandhu, 63, who co-owns the Howard Johnson hotel in Portage la Prairie, was arrested in connection with an RCMP investigation into suspected labour trafficking.
He and his co-accused, Satbir Sandhu, face charges including human trafficking, benefiting financially from trafficking, and withholding or destroying identification documents. Jai Inder Sandhu is also charged with uttering threats.
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The investigation began in February after a disturbance was reported at the hotel where the four foreign workers lived and worked. Police later identified two women and two other individuals as victims.
They reported being paid significantly below Manitoba’s minimum wage, working excessive hours—sometimes up to 15 per day—and facing threats of deportation.
Authorities say the workers were recruited through online ads and personal connections. They were led to believe they would be offered fair wages and legal employment through federal labour market impact assessments.
However, the employer failed to meet the necessary conditions, and in one case, an employee never received the documentation required to work in Canada legally.
The accused appeared in provincial court Wednesday, where a judge granted bail under strict conditions. Sandhu must surrender his passport, observe a curfew, avoid contact with the complainants and his co-accused, and reside at a designated Winnipeg address.
The total bail amount includes a $10,000 cash deposit and $40,000 in sureties.
The case remains under a publication ban regarding specific court proceedings, but police say the investigation is ongoing.
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