- By Supratik Das
- Wed, 12 Nov 2025 06:37 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
An Indian technology professional working in the United States on an H-1B visa has filed a lawsuit against his employer, accusing the company and its Indian-origin CEO of forcing him into exploitative labour conditions, withholding wages, and using caste-based discrimination tactics to control him.
According to a report by Breitbart News, Amrutesh Vallabhaneni, an H-1B visa holder, has sued Siri Software Solutions, LLC and its owner, Pavan Tata, alleging that the firm “weaponised the H-1B visa programme” to trap him in a cycle of dependency, coercion, and underpayment.
Green Card Promise Turned Into Threat
Vallabhaneni, who went to the US in 2015 on an F-1 student visa after borrowing money to fund his education, claimed he was promised long-term stability and a Green Card sponsorship by Siri Software Solutions. However, instead of fulfilling the promise, the company allegedly used it as leverage to make him comply with exploitative conditions.
The lawsuit states that SiriSoft threatened to revoke Vallabhaneni’s visa and initiate deportation proceedings if he refused to obey its demands. He was reportedly forced to pay his own salary for six months and was not paid the “prevailing wage” as required under US labour laws. “Despite being guaranteed a wage by the Department of Labor, AV often barely had enough money for rent and living expenses for himself and his family,” the lawsuit reads. His health insurance lapsed, credit card payments were missed, and he and his wife were left without medical care, even when he suffered a serious leg injury, it added.
‘For Indian Workers, It’s A Squid Game’
Jay Palmer, a US-based consultant who helped Vallabhaneni prepare the lawsuit, compared the situation faced by many Indian workers in America to a survival challenge.
“For Indian workers, this resembles a Squid Game where the main objective is to remain in America,” Palmer told Breitbart News. “The culture is extremely exploitative. Indian CEOs bring caste-based politics from their home country into workplaces in the United States,” he added.
Palmer, known for exposing labour trafficking cases, said the lawsuit highlights a growing issue in the tech outsourcing and staffing industry, where migrant workers are bound to employers by complex visa dependencies and fear of deportation.
Forced Labour and Labour Trafficking Alleged
The lawsuit accuses Siri Software Solutions of forced labour, labour trafficking, and retention of visa documents, all considered criminal offenses under US law. It seeks compensation, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees. “It appears this is Defendant Siri Software Solutions’ business model,” the complaint stated, calling the actions “reprehensible” and demanding a jury trial.
As per the report, the company placed Vallabhaneni on multiple projects at wages set by the government but withheld fair pay and forced him to bear all visa-related expenses. Despite all this, Vallabhaneni continues to work with SiriSoft while awaiting the outcome of his Green Card process, fearing retaliation or loss of legal status.
The case adds to the growing debate around the misuse of the H-1B visa program, which is designed to bring skilled foreign professionals to the United States but has often been criticised for fostering exploitative practices by some employers.
