On Friday, four famous members of the Hinduja family were found guilty of abusing underpaid slaves at their opulent Geneva, Switzerland, property. Sentences of 4 1/2 years were imposed on the two older family members, Prakash Hinduja (78) and Kamal Hinduja (75), who were unable to attend the trial because of health concerns. Ajay Hinduja and his spouse Namrata, who were both not present in court, received a 4-year term, according to Bloomberg.
The jury decided that Ajay Hinduja, his spouse Namrata, and his parents had unlawfully underpaid Indian employees, paying salaries that were significantly less than the Swiss standard rate.
Najib Ziazi, the family’s business manager, was given a suspended 18-month sentence.
The Hindujas declared they were shocked by the court’s ruling and that they had filed an appeal with a higher court. According to PTI, they intend to overturn the decision that found them guilty of abusing helpless domestic servants.
An Overview of the Hinduja Family History
The Hinduja family’s history began in 1914 when Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja established a commodities trading company in the Sindh area of British India. Under his four sons, the company rapidly expanded, first finding success in the overseas distribution of Bollywood films. The family’s enormous economic empire is still run by Srichand’s brothers Gopichand, Prakash, and Ashok, who succeeded him in 2023.
The Hinduja family, with holdings in media, energy, and banking, is estimated by Forbes to be worth $20 billion. They hold shares in six publicly traded Indian corporations. They are now among the top 20 wealthiest families in Asia as a result.
Charges and judgments from the court
The Hinduja family was charged with stealing the passports of the laborers, keeping them from leaving the villa, and making them put in long hours for little money. Many workers who could only communicate in Hindi were paid into bank accounts in India with rupees, which they were unable to access while in Switzerland.
The family’s legal team refuted the claims, claiming that the employees received appropriate accommodations and were handled with respect. The Swiss court, however, rejected more serious accusations of human trafficking while upholding the convictions for taking advantage of the workers’ limited knowledge and proficiency in the local tongue. There was a “climate of fear” among the workforce, and they were paid wages well below the Swiss standard while working up to eighteen hours a day, seven days a week, without any guaranteed time off or benefits.
Specifics of the case
The conviction was the result of an investigation that started in 2018 when Swiss authorities searched the Hinduja home, the Hinduja Bank offices, and other nearby establishments owned by the Hinduja Group after receiving a tip. Hard disks and documents were taken as proof. The four family members were found guilty by the court of giving unlicensed work, providing inadequate health insurance, and paying salaries that were less than ten percent of what was typical for such positions in Switzerland.
The workers suffered from severe working circumstances, including little to no vacation time, long hours for receptions, and frequently sleeping on mattresses in the basement, according to the prosecutors. Valuable assets, such as diamonds, rubies, a platinum necklace, and other jewelry, have been seized by Swiss authorities in order to pay for possible fines and legal costs.
