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Keyur Barot and Jitendra Kumar are back in India. They were repatriated to their home country amidst an ongoing criminal investigation. Their former employer, Jack Charles is accusing them of stealing $60,000 Belize dollars from him last year. The pair crossed the border to Guatemala with Charles’s money and vehicle. They were later captured in Mexico and brought back to Belize. Now Barot and Kumar have their own claim against Charles. They say Charles held them against their will and that they are human trafficking victims. Charles completely denies this allegation and shared these pictures of the men living it up with co workers friends in Belize at Goff’s Caye. Charles says that these pictures taken fro their social media accounts show just how free the men were. Police told us more about their side of this case.

ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB
"In relation to that matter it is still an ongoing investigation statements were video recorded from both persons in the presence of a justice of the peace and someone from human resource department. This is still an ongoing investigation and in cases like these the witness does not necessarily have to be present since his statements were video recorded and in the event that this matter is brought to trial in some cases testimony by means of Skype is allowed in the court depending on the judge."

Courtney Weatherburne
"In this case why were they released or sent back to India given that there may be possibility that this case might go to trial and court?"

ACP Joseph Myvette
"That is what I am saying they were in protective custody and I believe they were repatriated to India but the investigation is still ongoing."

Reporter
"If these persons are found guilty of a particular crime, what do you do then because these persons are in India, do we have a particular agreement where these persons can be sent back to Belize, what happens?"

ACP Joseph Myvette
"At some part of the inception of this case it was explained that where an allegation of theft is made as it relates to trafficking in persons those persons make a claim that it was a means of them getting away from whoever was trafficking them then the charge of theft is held in abeyance while the investigation is ongoing."

Reporter
"And if not?"

ACP Joseph Myvette
"That is what I’m saying."

Reporter
"No but if you discover that Mr. Charles wasn’t holding them against their will and they are found guilty..."

ACP Joseph Myvette
"That is part of the ongoing investigation and I don’t want to speculate as to whether if not."

So as you heard, the police are still investigating this case and if it is found that Charles was holding them against their will, the theft investigation against the men will be dropped. It is still not clear how the case will be handled if the men are to be charged for theft - since they left these shores, with the facilitation of the state, surely not likely to return.