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Prosecutors say they don't plan to file any charges against a man who is accused of enslaving a man and forcing him to cook at Valencia restaurant for three years.Pardeep Kumar, 47, hasn't been charged with any crime because there is a lack of evidence, Los Angeles County district attorney’s office spokesman Greg Risling told the Los Angeles Times. The chef in question plans to return to his native India.
Kumar was accused of taking the passport of the 55-year-old Indian national, keeping him in his Newhall home and forcing him to work as a chef 12 to 14 hours each day at Tandoori Grill. Authorities said the victim was beat with a 2-foot-long piece of steel and a 3-foot-long metal mop handle. The victim said he was afraid to try to escape because he feared for his life.
A fellow restaurant employee e-mailed the chef's brother in Mumbai, and his brother e-mailed a tip to the Sheriff's Department. Deputies showed up at the restaurant, and the chef described his ordeal. Kumar was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and keeping a man in involuntarily servitude. The Times wasn't able to reach the sheriff's department for comment after news broke that no charges would be filed against Kumar.
Related:
Restaurant Owner Forced Cook To Work For 3 Years Without Pay, Deputies Say
