Kehar Garry Sangha, 52, faces nine charges related to related to allegations a woman was violently held against her will for four days on his rural property in North Cowichan last April.

DUNCAN – The trail hearing of an Indo-Canadian man from Vancouver Island charged with imprisoning and beating woman begins in Duncan, BC

Kehar Garry Sangha, 52, faces nine charges related to related to allegations a woman was violently held against her will for four days on his rural property in North Cowichan last April, reported CBC News.

RCMP said the victim was beaten badly with a bat for four days before she managed to escape to a neighbour's home.

Cowichan RCMP Cpl. Krista Hobday said it was fortunate that a contractor working on a nearby property saw the woman bloodied and severely swollen and quickly called 911.

"We certainly appreciate his efforts and we don't even want to speculate what would have happened had he not been where he was at the time," Hobday said outside court.

Sangha has been in custody since his arrest April 12 last year.

The preliminary hearing, which is expected to last until Friday, will determine whether evidence presented in court is sufficient for Sangha to stand trial.