Four members of the prominent Hinduja family were convicted on Friday for exploiting underpaid servants at their luxurious villa in Geneva, Switzerland. The elder family members, Prakash Hinduja (78) and Kamal Hinduja (75), who were absent from the trial due to health issues, received sentences of 4 1/2 years each. Ajay Hinduja and his wife Namrata, who were also not present in the courtroom, were sentenced to 4 years, as reported by Bloomberg.
The Hinduja family’s business manager, Najib Ziazi, received an 18-month suspended sentence.
The Hindujas expressed their dismay at the court’s decision and announced an appeal has been filed to a higher court. They hope to overturn the verdict, which found them guilty of exploiting vulnerable domestic workers, as reported by PTI.
Hinduja family responds to judgment
“Our clients have been acquitted of all human trafficking charges. We are appalled and disappointed by the rest of the decision made in this court of first instance, and we have of course filed an appeal to the higher court thereby making this part of the judgement not effective. Under Swiss law, the presumption of innocence is paramount till a final judgement by the highest adjudicating authority is enforced,” said the family in a media statement.
The statement went on to say, “Contrary to some media reports, there is no effective detention for any members of the family. It should also be recalled that the plaintiffs in this case had withdrawn their respective complaints after declaring to the court that they had never intended to be involved in such proceedings. The family has full faith in the Judicial Process and remains confident that the truth will prevail.”
Hinduja Family: Background
The Hinduja family’s legacy dates back to 1914 when Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja founded a commodities-trading business in British India’s Sindh region. The business quickly diversified under his four sons, initially finding success by distributing Bollywood films internationally. Srichand P Hinduja, the eldest son, took over the reins in 1935 and is credited with founding IndusInd Bank.
Following his death in May 2023, Gopichand Hinduja assumed the role of Chairman and is recognized for the Group’s ventures into the power and infrastructure sectors. The brothers later shifted their base to London in 1979, where it remains today, with the group claiming to employ 200,000 people worldwide.
The Hinduja family, known for their vast business empire spanning various sectors, tops the Sunday Times list of the UK’s 350 richest people with an estimated fortune of £37 billion.
With interests in finance, media, and energy, the Hinduja family owns stakes in six publicly traded Indian companies and has a collective wealth estimated at $20 billion by Forbes. This places them among Asia’s top 20 wealthiest families.
Hinduja Family: Charges and court findings
The Hinduja family members were accused of seizing workers’ passports, preventing them from leaving the villa, and forcing them to work long hours for minimal pay. Many workers, only speaking Hindi, were paid in rupees to bank accounts in India, which they could not access while in Switzerland, as reported by Bloomberg.
According to Swiss prosecutor Yves Bertossa, the family spent more money on their pet dog than they paid one of their servants. The woman was paid as little as 7 Swiss francs ($7.84) for a working day that lasted up to 18 hours, seven days a week. The prosecutor revealed that the family spent 8,584 Swiss francs in a year on their family dog.
The family’s legal team denied the allegations, arguing that the staff were treated respectfully and provided proper accommodation. However, the Swiss court dismissed more severe charges of human trafficking but upheld the convictions for exploiting the workers’ lack of local language skills and knowledge. Workers reported a “climate of fear” and were forced to work up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, without statutory time off or benefits, for wages far below the Swiss standard, as highlighted by PTI.
Advocates Yael Hayat and Robert Assael and Romain Jordan are representing Prakash Hinduja, Kamal Hinduja, Ajay Hinduja and Namrata Hinduja.
Hinduja Family: Details of the case
The conviction stemmed from a case that began in 2018 when Swiss prosecutors, acting on a tip-off, raided the Hinduja villa, Hinduja Bank offices, and other local businesses owned by the Hinduja Group. Documents and hard drives were seized as evidence.
The court found the four family members guilty of providing unauthorized employment, offering minimal health benefits, and paying wages less than one-tenth of the standard rate for such jobs in Switzerland, as reported by Bloomberg.
Prosecutors highlighted that the workers endured harsh conditions, working with little or no vacation, extended hours for receptions, and often slept in the basement on mattresses. Swiss authorities have confiscated valuable assets, including diamonds, rubies, a platinum necklace, and other jewellery, to cover potential legal fees and penalties, according to PTI.
(With inputs from Agencies)
