Indian Techie Sues Indian Employer For Caste, Wage Exploitation

India-West News Desk

SAN JOSE, CA – An Indian-origin software engineer has filed a lawsuit against his Indian American employer, alleging exploitation under the federal H-1B visa program and claiming that caste-based practices were carried into the workplace. The case highlights how visa-dependent workers are vulnerable to abuse by employers from their own community.

The case was reported by the conservative Breitbart News.  It highlighted the downside of H1B visas and noted in detail how it is used for Indians to climb the corporate ladder.

The lawsuit, filed by H-1B worker Amrutesh Vallabhaneni, accuses Siri Software Solutions and its owner, Pavan Tata, of forced labor, labor trafficking, and repeated violations of U.S. labor laws. Vallabhaneni claims the company used threats tied to his immigration status to control his employment, demanding payments and underpaying him while holding out the promise of a green card.

According to the complaint, Siri Software Solutions required Vallabhaneni to pay all the costs associated with his H-1B visa and even forced him to pay his own salary for several months to maintain his immigration status. The filing alleges that the company violated the Department of Labor’s “prevailing wage” requirement by paying him only 80 percent of what he earned from client contracts, keeping the rest as profit.

The lawsuit further says that when Vallabhaneni questioned these conditions, SiriSoft threatened to withdraw his visa sponsorship, effectively putting his right to stay in the country at risk. The company allegedly promised to begin the process of applying for his green card but used that promise as leverage to compel him to continue making payments and accept low wages.

Vallabhaneni’s suit states that these actions caused significant financial and emotional hardship. He says he was often paid too little to cover rent or medical care, and at times his health insurance lapsed.

Jay Palmer, a labor trafficking expert assisting in the case, told Breitbart the dispute has also drawn attention to how caste-linked discrimination from India can surface in U.S. workplaces. The lawsuit mentions that many Indian-run companies replicate social hierarchies, creating an environment where workers feel powerless to challenge unfair treatment.