Permanent injunction issued against Granger business owner
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A federal court has issued an order forbidding the owner of a Granger-based liquor store chain from retaliating against workers who were coerced to return wages paid under an earlier settlement with regulators, the U.S. Department of Labor says.
Bhola Singh and his company Vishav Inc., which operates 61 Mega Liquor & Smoke stores in Indiana and Michigan, was accused of retaliating against employees following a 2023 settlement. Singh in 2023 agreed to pay back wages after he was accused of minimum wage and overtime pay violations.
But after reaching the settlement, federal regulators say, he coerced his employees to return the back wages found due. The Department of Labor in March sought a temporary restraining order against Singh.
On Aug. 1 the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana issued a permanent injunction, which forbids Singh from retaliating against workers.
Singh and the company have paid the remaining $171,082 in back wages and damages to 156 employees, plus an additional $50,000 in attorneys’ fees, the Department of Labor said in a news release. The back wages and damages represent the balance of the $354,633 that he agreed to pay in September 2023 to resolve the Labor Department’s investigation.
Inside INdiana Business could not immediately reach Singh for comment.
The court also forbids Singh from terminating any employees or reducing their rate of pay or hours worked for a period of six months unless he submits written notice to the Labor Department and to any affected employees.