A Melbourne woman was forced to live on bread and pickles, sexually and verbally abused and not allowed to leave her bedroom unless she was cooking or cleaning for her husband, a court has been told.

The Indian woman arrived in Australia to be with her husband in 2015, and lived with him and his brother where she was ordered to do housework and barred from leaving the house, court documents allege.

"She was not allowed to step out of the house and instructed by her husband to remain in her bedroom unless she was cooking or cleaning for them," according to a police summary released to reporters by Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.

The husband, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is charged with a Commonwealth offence of intentionally reducing his wife to a slave in their outer-Melbourne home.

Upon arriving in Australia, the woman was allegedly put to work immediately by her husband, despite being exhausted from travel.

He told her to clean and do laundry for him and his brother and although she had a mobile phone, she was unable to buy an Australian SIM card.

"She did not have access to any money and when she asked if she could go to work to earn money, her husband told her she could not leave the house," police allege.

The woman was given little food, often lived on bread and pickles and was regularly physically, verbally and sexually abused by her husband, including regular forced oral sex, prosecutors say.

The husband also constantly demanded she ask her family in India for money.

The woman felt constantly monitored by her husband and brother-in-law and was not allowed to see a doctor or take medicine when she was sick for three days.

After about a month and a half she found an unlocked computer in the house and managed to get help.

Police say the woman contacted her sister, but was caught using the computer by her brother-in-law, who told her he couldn't wait to find out what his brother would do when he got home.

In terror, she fled the house and sought help from neighbours who raised the alarm.

The allegations emerged on day one of the husband's committal hearing to determine if he should stand trial.

The hearing continues on Tuesday.