Swiss Court Jails Hindujas, UK’s Richest Family for exploiting Indian Domestic Workers

A Swiss judge found four members of the Hinduja family, the wealthiest family in the UK, guilty of exploiting their Indian employees at their Geneva villa. The members of the Hinduja family now face around four-year jail terms.

It ordered four-year and six months’ jail term for Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal Hinduja, and handed their son Ajay and his Namrata four-year terms each. The court, however, acquitted them of a more serious charge of human trafficking.

The Swiss court on Friday branded the Hindujas “selfish” after prosecutors alleged they meted out inhuman treatment to their staff, who were taken from India to work as domestic help at their family mansion.

The Hindujas with fortunes worth around $47 billion, run businesses ranging from oil and gas to banking and healthcare in as many as 38 countries.

It was alleged that Hindujas paid their domestic staff only $8 (Rs 660) for working up to 18 hours a day, which is less than a tenth of the wage prescribed by Swiss law.

The family also confiscated the passports of their domestic employees and rarely allowed them outside their Geneva villa. The prosecutors told the court that the Hinduja family spent more on their dog than on their servants. They spent around 8,584 Swiss francs (Rs 8 lakh) on their dog every year whereas some of their staff worked up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, for just 7 Swiss francs (Rs 660) per day.

The Hindujas had denied the allegations and said they have filed a challenge in a higher court.

“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 judgment not effective,” said a statement signed by the lawyers of the Hindujas.