Three individuals who co-owned Marina Dosa and Tandoori Grill in northeast Calgary have been sentenced to weekend jail terms for defrauding their immigrant employees. The convicted individuals, namely Manikandan Kasinathan, Chandramohan Marjak, and Mary Roche, were each given 90-day jail sentences to be served on weekends. In addition to jail time, they will also undergo an 18-month probation period and are required to repay the $44,000 they unlawfully took from three employees.
The sentencing came after a trial that spanned from the summer of 2024 to May 2025, culminating in a conviction decision by Justice Sandra Mah. The victims, all hailing from India, arrived in Calgary between 2017 and 2020 as temporary foreign workers under employer-specific permits. They were coerced into paying $24,000 each for a Labour Market Impact Assessment, falsely claimed to be government fees related to their immigration to Canada.
Prosecutor Brandy O’Ferrall presented evidence that the victims were threatened with deportation if they did not comply. One victim paid the full amount, while the others paid $12,000 and $8,000, respectively. The victims worked long hours, with one individual recounting working six days a week for 12 to 14 hours daily to settle the debt.
Moreover, the victims lived in substandard conditions in the offenders’ homes, enduring verbal and physical abuse. The judge described the accommodations as inadequate, with multiple individuals occupying a single bedroom. The victims eventually reported the abuse, leading to the legal proceedings.
The accused did not testify in their defense, with their lawyers arguing that any money received was for legitimate expenses. However, the judge dismissed this defense. The offenders will now serve their jail terms while adhering to probation conditions and repaying the stolen funds.