A Swiss court sentenced four members of Britain’s wealthiest family on June 21 for mistreating Indian staff at their Geneva mansion.
The Hindujas, who were not present in court, were acquitted of human trafficking but found guilty of other charges. The family, with a fortune estimated at 37 billion pounds ($47 billion), received jail sentences.
Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal Hinduja were each sentenced to four years and six months, while their son Ajay and his wife Namrata received four-year terms.
The charges stemmed from the family’s practice of bringing servants from India and allegations of confiscating their passports upon arrival in Switzerland.
Prosecutors argued that the Hindujas paid their staff poorly and restricted their freedom. The family denied the accusations, alleging that the prosecutors had a vendetta against them.
Although the Hindujas settled with the employees who made the accusations, the prosecution pursued the case due to its seriousness.
The prosecutor had requested a five-and-a-half-year sentence for Prakash and Kamal Hinduja.
The defence argued that the employees were well-treated, not kept in isolation, and had the freedom to leave the villa.
The Hinduja Group, with interests in various industries and employing around 200,000 people in 38 countries, faced criticism for their treatment of household staff.
