Stunning: 4 Hindujas Get Jail Time For Exploiting Indian Staff

Photo: Prakash Hinduja, Source: REUTERS

India-West News Desk

GENEVA – In a landmark verdict, a Swiss court handed jail sentences to four members of Britain’s wealthiest family, the Hindujas, on June 21 for exploiting Indian staff at their Geneva mansion. The Hindujas, whose family fortune is estimated at $47 billion, were acquitted of human trafficking but convicted on other charges.

Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal Hinduja received sentences of four years and six months each, while their son Ajay and his wife Namrata were sentenced to four-year terms, the AP reported. The family members, who were not present in court, were found guilty of mistreating their staff brought from India.

The case stemmed from the family’s practice of bringing servants from India and included accusations of confiscating their passports upon arrival in Switzerland. Prosecutors argued that the Hindujas paid their staff a pittance and restricted their freedom to leave the house. Despite the family’s denial of the allegations, claiming that prosecutors aimed to “do in the Hindujas,” the court ruled in favor of the prosecution.

The Hindujas reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with the three employees who made the accusations. However, the prosecution pursued the case due to the severity of the charges, AP said.

Prakash, 78, and Kamal Hinduja, 75, had been absent from the trial for health reasons. The court heard that household staff were paid salaries between $250 and $450 a month, significantly lower than what they could expect to earn in Switzerland, AP said.

Defense lawyers argued that the plaintiffs received ample benefits, were not kept in isolation, and were free to leave the villa. They contended that the employees were grateful to the Hindujas for offering them a better life.

Despite these arguments, the court’s decision marks a significant moment in holding wealthy families accountable for the treatment of their domestic staff.