A well-known Indian-born tycoon, Prakash Hinduja, along with his wife Kamal and their son Ajay and daughter-in-law Namrata, have been sentenced to prison for exploiting their domestic workers and providing unauthorized employment. The four family members were cleared of more serious charges of human trafficking, but were found guilty of mistreating their illiterate Indian workers who were employed at their lakeside villa in Geneva.
On Friday, a Swiss criminal court sentenced Prakash and Kamal to four-and-a-half years in prison, while Ajay and Namrata received four years each. The family’s business manager, Najib Ziazi, received an 18-month suspended sentence. However, the accused were not present in court, with the exception of Ziazi. It was reported that Prakash and Kamal did not attend the trial due to health reasons.
The court heard that the Hinduja family had reached a settlement with the plaintiffs last week, and that the family had roots in India. The prosecution alleged that the workers, who held positions such as cooks and house help, were forced to work long hours with little to no holiday time. They were also paid significantly less than the amount required under Swiss law. In addition, the employees were allegedly made to work even later hours for receptions and were forced to sleep in the basement of the villa in the upmarket Cologny area, often on a mattress on the floor. Prosecutors described a “climate of fear” created by Kamal Hinduja.
The workers, many of whom only spoke Hindi, were paid in Indian rupees, which they could not access as their wages were deposited in banks back home. The prosecution also stated that the Hinduja family had seized the workers’ passports and barred them from leaving the villa.
The Swiss authorities have already seized assets from the family, including jewellery and other valuable items, in anticipation of using them to pay for legal fees and possible penalties.
The Hinduja family is known for their control of the multinational conglomerate, the Hinduja Group, with businesses ranging from trucks and lubricants to banking and cable television. Prakash Hinduja’s brother, Gopichand, took over as chairman after the passing of their older brother, Srichand, in May 2023. Prakash serves as the chair of the Hinduja Group in Europe, while his brother Ashok is the chair of the Hinduja Group of Companies in India.
The family, led by Gopichand, topped the 2024 Sunday Times rich list with a combined wealth of £37.196bn. The lawyers representing the defendants have announced that they will be appealing the court’s decision.