'Even a rich family like Hindujas...': Deepak Shenoy says employers can't make staff work 18 hrs per day, and pay peanuts

The case against the Hinduja family, one of the wealthiest in the UK with a net worth of £37 billion ($47 billion), has sparked widespread reactions on social media. The family has been accused of mistreating their domestic staff, including paying them meager wages, withholding their passports, and forcing them to work excessively long hours.

Deepak Shenoy, founder and CEO of Bengaluru-based Capitalmind, backed the British court's decision to convict the Hinduja family. Shenoy emphasized the importance of employment protection, stating, "Justice has been served. Even a rich family like the Hindujas can't get away from employment protection. You can't withhold passports, lock people in your house, make them work 18 hours per day, and still pay them peanuts," he wrote on X.

When an X user defended the Hindujas by saying that retaining passports is a common practice to prevent employees from escaping into the Eurozone, Shenoy responded by highlighting that regardless of the circumstances, staff working hours should not exceed 10 hours. 

"If they have a passport with a Schengen visa, they can go to the 'Eurozone' whenever they want. It's not the employer's call to hold the passport and likely illegal. Tourism is a leisure activity anyone can do in their spare time. Employers get their 8-10 hours, not more."

The Hinduja family on Sunday issued a statement refuting the claims of imprisonment and conviction. According to the family's spokesperson, Prakash Hinduja, 78, his wife Kamal Hinduja, 75, their son Ajay, 56, and his wife Namrata, 50, have not been subjected to any imprisonment, conviction, sentence, or detention. The spokesperson clarified that the human trafficking charges against them had been dismissed.

"The four Swiss-national members of the Hinduja Family, Kamal and Prakash Hinduja, Namrata and Ajay Hinduja, have not been subjected to any imprisonment, conviction, sentence, or detention," the spokesperson said.

Despite the family's denial, the case has ignited a debate about the treatment of domestic workers and the responsibilities of wealthy employers.