An Indian software engineer, Amrutesh Vallabhaneni, has filed a lawsuit in the United States against his employer, Siri Software Solutions (SiriSoft), and its Indian-origin CEO, Pavan Tata, alleging forced labour, wage theft, and caste-based discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in a US federal court, sheds light on the growing exploitation of H-1B visa holders in the American tech industry.
Green Card Promise Turned into Coercion
According to the complaint, SiriSoft allegedly “weaponised the H-1B visa program” by threatening to withdraw Vallabhaneni’s visa sponsorship if he refused to accept unlawful conditions. The company reportedly used the promise of a Green Card as leverage, coercing him into compliance under the threat of deportation.
The lawsuit claims that Vallabhaneni was forced to pay his own salary for six months, faced inconsistent payments, and often struggled to cover basic needs like rent and medical care. His family also suffered when their health insurance lapsed, leaving them without coverage during a medical emergency.
“Forced labour, labour trafficking, and withholding visa documents are crimes,” the lawsuit stated, accusing the firm of violating US labour and immigration laws.
A “Squid Game” for Indian H-1B Workers
Labour trafficking expert Jay Palmer, who helped prepare the lawsuit, described the case as a “Squid Game” scenario for Indian workers — where the ultimate goal is to stay in the US despite severe exploitation.
“It’s a very exploitative culture. Indian CEOs import caste-based discrimination politics from back home into US workplaces,” Palmer told Breitbart News. The lawsuit highlights a broader pattern in which some staffing and outsourcing firms use visa dependence to trap foreign employees in abusive conditions.
SiriSoft Yet to Respond
Siri Software Solutions and its CEO Pavan Tata have not yet issued a public statement regarding the allegations.
Vallabhaneni’s story traces back to his arrival in the US on an F-1 student visa in 2015. After working briefly at a New Jersey-based firm, he joined SiriSoft in 2018, where he was promised an H-1B visa and eventual Green Card — benefits that soon became tools of coercion instead.
The lawsuit seeks full compensation and damages, aiming to set a precedent for stronger protection of foreign tech workers from labour trafficking and visa-linked exploitation.
Source – https://trak.in/stories/h1b-employee-sues-company-over-forced-labor-wage-theft-discrimination/