A regional court has granted bail of $400,000 to one of three defendants facing multiple serious charges connected to the alleged abuse of a domestic worker. The case, which includes disturbing allegations of prolonged assault and death threats against the victim, has drawn close attention to systemic protections for vulnerable domestic employees.
Twenty-two-year-old labourer Rohit Sitahal appeared for a virtual hearing before Master Kateisha Ambrose-Persadsingh at South A Court on the reported date. Sitahal faces five total charges: one count of throwing a noxious substance, two counts of intentionally inflicting bodily harm, and two additional unlisted offences. He is jointly charged with Fareeda Balgobin, a local businesswoman, and her son Joshua Benny, who did not appear for this week’s hearing.
Balgobin and Benny were taken into custody on April 11 and have since been held at the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre under preventive detention orders signed by Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander on April 20. The detention order against Balgobin links her to alleged activity with an organized Informed Crime Group (ICG) operating in the Penal region, where the alleged abuse took place. Prosecutors have submitted requests for writs of habeas corpus to secure the pair’s attendance at future court proceedings. Both are represented by defense attorneys Keron Ramkhalwhan and Shalini Sankar, while Sitahal appeared without legal representation this week.
During the hearing, police prosecutor Sgt Salazar urged the court to set bail at a level that reflected the severity of the alleged crimes, noting that the charge of throwing a noxious substance carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted. Despite this, Master Ambrose-Persadsingh approved bail for Sitahal at the requested $400,000, with strict non-contact and reporting conditions. The terms bar Sitahal from any direct or indirect communication with the alleged victim, require him to maintain a 50-foot distance from her at all times, order him to check in at the Rio Claro Police Station twice weekly, and restrict him to residing at the address he provided to the court.
The alleged victim, 42-year-old Sabita Basdeo, has told investigators she endured months of abuse between September 2025 and April 2026 at a private residence in Penal. According to police accounts, Basdeo claims she was repeatedly beaten, burned with harmful substances, and threatened with death if she tried to escape captivity. The case has been adjourned until June 10, when all three defendants are expected to appear before the court to proceed with the legal process.