Swiss court sentences 4 members of Hinduja family up to 4.5 years in jail for exploiting domestic workers

A Swiss criminal court on June 21 sentenced Indian-born tycoon Prakash Hinduja and his wife, son and daughter-in-law between four and four and half years in prison for exploiting workers and providing unauthorised employment. However, the court dismissed more severe charges of human trafficking, AP reported. 

The court threw out charges of human trafficking because staff understood what they were getting into. 

The four members of the Hinduja family were accused of seizing workers’ passports, paying them in rupees – not Swiss francs — barring them from leaving the villa and forcing them to work excruciatingly long hours for a pittance in Switzerland, among other things. 

The court also cleared four other members of the billionaire family of charges that they engaged in illegal human trafficking of their servants, mostly illiterate Indians, who were employed at their luxurious lakeside villa in Geneva, according to the AP report. 

According to prosecution charges the Hinduja family spent much more on their pet dog expenses than they paid one of their staff. The family allegedly confiscated the passports of their staff members from India, restricting their freedom to leave the premises without permission. The staff were paid in Indian currency, leaving them without money in Switzerland. Contracts for the staff reportedly did not specify working hours or days off but required them to be available as needed by the family. 

The Hindujas, the wealthiest family in the United Kingdom, are facing trial in Geneva on accusations of human trafficking and exploiting staff at their Swiss villa, according to a report in Bloomberg. Four members of the family have been accused of confiscating the passports of their staff members and paying them as little as Rs 600 for long hours of work. 

The Hinduja family has an estimated net worth of $20 billion. They oversee the multinational conglomerate, the Hinduja Group, which spans diverse sectors such as shipping, banking, media, and more. They also hold significant real estate assets in London, including the prestigious Raffles London Hotel. 

'Appalled by jail term order'

Meanwhile, advocates Yael Hayat and Robert Assael and Romain Jordan representing Prakash Hinduja, Kamal Hinduja, Ajay Hinduja and Namrata Hinduja said that they have filed an appeal to the higher court against the judgement.

"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," they said.

"Under Swiss law, the presumption of innocence is paramount till a final judgement by the highest adjudicating authority is enforced. Contrary to some media reports, there is no effective detention for any members of the family," the advocates said in a statement to the media. "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."