In a Geneva court, an esteemed British family, the Hindujas, which includes Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal, and their son Ajay and his wife, Namrata, have been found guilty of serious employment transgressions against their house servants who are Indian citizens, and have been handed significant prison sentences. Last Friday’s decision revealed how one of the wealthiest families globally enforced severe working environments on their employees. Yves Bertossa, the Genevan prosecutor, noted during the trial that the family’s dog enjoyed higher spending than the servants.
On charges of human trafficking, the presiding court cleared the four family members, although the domestic workers at the heart of the case, who were largely uneducated, were transported directly from India to the opulent Hinduja home in Switzerland. The sentencing judge, Sabina Mascotto, stated that the employees were exploited because of their unstable circumstances in India, unfamiliar language, passport seizure, and irregular payment every three to six months, all of which the Hindujas took advantage of. Despite this, the court ruled that the workers had understood their employment conditions when they accepted work for the family in India, and therefore could not be classified as trafficked individuals.
As an appreciation of the severity of the offences, Prakash and Kamal were sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison, whereas Ajay and Namrata were given a four-year sentence. The defendants weren’t present in court for the verdict, and any appeal might take a substantial time within Switzerland’s typically slow-paced judicial system.
“It’s an unfortunate decision from this first-instance court. An appeal will be presented, as the principle of innocence takes precedence until a conflicting final verdict is implemented by the highest juridical authority under Swiss legislation,” retorted Romain Jordan, the family’s attorney, while emphasising the family’s acquittal on charges of human trafficking.
Prakash is one of three siblings who lead the Hinduja Group, a massive multinational corporation with a wide range of interests, including automobiles, petrochemicals, banking, and weaponry. His elder brothers, Gopichand and Srichand, relocated to London in the 1980s, making the city the hub of the group’s activities. Srichand passed away in May of the previous year. Gopichand has an estimated net worth of £35 billion (€41 billion), making him Britain’s wealthiest individual. Prakash, who resides in Switzerland, manages the family’s banking activities and was granted Swiss citizenship in 2000. The group’s Indian enterprises are handled by his younger brother, Ashok.
Recent shocking reports from Geneva’s public prosecutor accused Prakash, Kamal, Ajay, and Namrata of using their employees more like bonded labourers. Allegations suggest employees were retained at a villa in the exceptionally affluent lakeside suburb of Cologny, Geneva, living in substandard basement rooms. As maintained by Mr Bertossa, the prosecutor, the workers’ wages were less than a tenth of what is legally required in Switzerland. Allegedly, one domestic helper earned just seven Swiss francs (€7.30) a day, working up to 18 hours every day of the week. Documents seized by police and produced in court indicate that the family dog had more than triple spent on it than employees.
In addition to caring for the family in Cologny, the staff accompanied them to their Swiss alps ski chalet and Cote d’Azur villa, but had virtually no personal liberties, Mr Bertossa stated. He also added that their passports were confiscated and they were remunerated in rupees in Indian bank accounts, with no access while in Switzerland.
The family members rejected the allegations in their testimonies, maintaining that their staff were treated akin to family members. Ajay’s counsel, Yael Hayat, argued in court that the prosecutor’s contention regarding employees was overstated, raising the question – “Can it be considered work if they sit down to watch a film with the children?”
A lawsuit initiated by the staff against the family was settled last week for an undisclosed sum. This report is protected by the copyright of The Financial Times Limited 2024.