Varsha Sabhnani, 46, wife of a New York millionaire of Indian origin, was on Thursday sentenced to 12 years in prison for ill-treatment of two Indonesian maids. Her husband Mahender Sabhnani, 51, also guilty, would receive a shorter term.

In December last Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani (51), and his Indonesian wife Varsha (40) were held guilty of subjecting two Indonesian housemaids to repeated psychological and physical abuse in their New York mansion. The millionaire couple are both naturalized US citizens.

They were each convicted on 12 federal counts that included forced labour, conspiracy, involuntary servitude and harboring aliens. The appalling affair has been described as modern day slavery.

The Sabhnanis, who have four children and operate a worldwide perfume business out of their Muttontown home on Long Island’s Gold Coast, could have faced up to 40 years in prison.

The allegations against the couple included forcing the Indonesian maids to work 18 hours or more a day, beatings with brooms and umbrellas, slashing with knives and making them repeatedly climb stairs and take freezing showers as punishments punishment for misdeeds that included sleeping late or stealing food from trash bins because they were poorly fed.

The couple were arrested in May after one of the maids, wearing only pants and a towel, was found wandering near a Dunkin Donut restaurant.

An interview by police reportedly revealed bruises on the upper part of her body. The other woman was found during a search of the couple's house the same day. The women, who do not know English, were interviewed with the help of an interpreter.