The Sentences are a bit stiff based on what was actually proven. At least I think so… They will appeal, it’s only natural.
A Swiss court recently issued jail sentences to four members of the Hinduja family, one of Britain’s wealthiest families, following charges of exploiting their Indian staff in Geneva. The court handed down sentences of four and a half years each to Prakash Hinduja, 78, and his wife Kamal, 75. Their son Ajay, 56, and his wife Namrata, 50, received four-year sentences. The family, who were not present during the proceedings, have expressed their intent to appeal the decision.
Hinduja Human Trafficking Case: UK’s Richest Family ‘Hindujas’ Get Jail Terms For Exploiting Staff#DNAVideos | #Hinduja | #UnitedKingdom | #Swiss | #UKNews
For more videos, click here https://t.co/6ddeGFqedQ pic.twitter.com/K08vxCewFz
— DNA (@dna) June 21, 2024
The Hindujas, whose fortune is estimated at 37 billion pounds ($47 billion) by the Sunday Times, were acquitted of human trafficking charges. The court ruled that the workers had come to Switzerland voluntarily. However, they were found guilty of “usury” by exploiting the vulnerability of their immigrant staff, paying them significantly below the standard wage.
During the trial, it was revealed that the family paid their household staff roughly 325 francs ($363) a month, which is up to 90 percent less than the typical local wage. The judge highlighted the disparity in treatment between the Hindujas’ pets and their employees, with the prosecutor pointing out that the family spent more on their dog than their staff.
Judge Sabina Mascotto, in her verdict, noted the exploitation of the employees’ inexperience and lack of education, emphasizing that the defendants were motivated by financial gain. Despite the serious nature of the charges, the defendants denied any wrongdoing, suggesting that the prosecution was overly aggressive and intent on damaging their reputation.
A lot of Indians are cheering the jail terms awarded to the Hinduja family for exploiting their servants for various reasons:
• Rich Indians are getting punished for their crime – which rarely happens in India.
• The Hindujas were anti-national, ‘allegedly’ involved in Bofors… pic.twitter.com/B1wdyXrK8j
— Aravind (@aravind) June 22, 2024
Furthermore, the defence presented that the three employees involved had previously settled with the Hindujas out of court, withdrawing their legal complaints. Nonetheless, the prosecution proceeded due to the severity of the accusations.
In response to the verdict, the prosecutor requested that Ajay and Namrata Hinduja be detained immediately, citing a risk of flight. However, this was denied by the judge, who acknowledged the family’s ties to Switzerland and noted that Kamal Hinduja was currently hospitalized in Monaco, with the other family members attending to her.
The defence argued that the employees were not mistreated, had sufficient benefits, and were free to leave the employment at any time. They stressed that the workers were grateful for the opportunity provided by the Hindujas, and that no employee was cheated out of their salary.
Four members of the richest family of Britain, Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal Hinduja, their son Ajay Hinduja and his wife Namrata Hinduja have all been sentenced to jail by a Swiss court for exploiting Indian migrant servants whom they made to work for upto 18 hours a day for… pic.twitter.com/JmyJW7Nrwq
— Poonam Joshi (@PoonamJoshi_) June 21, 2024
The Hinduja Group, with interests spanning oil and gas, banking, and healthcare, operates in 38 countries and employs about 200,000 people globally. The family’s legal representatives have expressed their confidence in the judicial process and are hopeful that further proceedings will vindicate the Hindujas.
Major Points:
- A Swiss court has sentenced four members of the Hinduja family, one of Britain’s wealthiest families, for exploiting their Indian staff in Geneva.
- Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal received four and a half years each, while their son Ajay and his wife Namrata were sentenced to four years.
- The family was acquitted of human trafficking but convicted of “usury” for underpaying their vulnerable immigrant employees significantly below local standards.
- The prosecution highlighted the severe underpayment of the staff, accusing the Hindujas of spending more on their dog than on their employees.
- Despite the convictions, the Hindujas plan to appeal the verdict, maintaining that the employees were not mistreated and were properly compensated beyond their cash salaries.
RM Tomi – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
