Indian Businessman to Stand Trial in 2025 Over Alleged Human Trafficking Charges

An Indian businessman from Belize City is set to stand trial next year over allegations of human trafficking. Today, forty-six-year-old Harish Kishanchand and his attorney, Jacqueline Willoughby, appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for his preliminary inquiry (PI).  The Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Lynn Vidal, appeared personally to submit more than two dozen statements, photos, DVDs, and other electronic evidence to be used at trial. During her submissions, the DPP noted that the complainant’s statement brought to court was a copy of the original statement, and she assured the defense that they would receive the original at trial. Willoughby initially objected to the use of the copied statement but withdrew her objection, stating that she would raise the issue at the High Court after conducting further research. The court revoked Kishanchand’s previous bail and granted a new bail of the same amount—six thousand dollars—requiring either one surety for the full amount or two sureties of three thousand dollars each, which he met. The allegations are that between January 21, 2022, and November 13, 2022, Kishanchand withheld the passport of a 21-year-old Indian national and forced him to perform hard labor. The complainant says he managed to escape and claims that Kishanchand initially offered him a job with six-hour workdays, weekends off, free food and lodging, and a monthly payment of twenty-five thousand rupees to be deposited in a bank account for his family back in India. However, once in Belize, the complainant was allegedly mistreated, starved, forced to work, and, on several occasions, not paid. Kishanchand was arraigned on the charge of trafficking in persons on August 7.