Geneva, Switzerland — Four members of the UK's wealthiest Indian-origin family have been sentenced to prison for exploiting staff brought over from India to work at their Geneva villa under conditions akin to slavery.
Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, along with their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, were found guilty by a Swiss court of exploitation and illegal employment, receiving sentences ranging from four to four-and-a-half years. They were acquitted of the more serious charge of human trafficking.
Lawyers for the defendants announced their intention to appeal the ruling. Robert Assael, the family's lawyer, expressed his shock outside the court, stating, "I'm shocked. We're going to fight it to the bitter end."
The case brought to light disturbing allegations from three workers who claimed they were paid as little as £7 ($8) to work 18-hour days—less than a tenth of the minimum wage required under Swiss law. Their passports were confiscated, and they were rarely allowed to leave the house located in Geneva's affluent Cologny neighborhood. Prosecutors noted that the family spent more on their dog than on their servants.
This incident highlights a broader issue of Indian workers being exploited by wealthy Indians, even in countries with strong labor laws. A similar case in the USA a few years ago involved laborers brought from India to build the country’s largest Hindu temple, who were paid just $1 an hour.
The Hinduja family, with an estimated fortune of £37 billion, owns the multinational Hinduja Group, which has interests in oil, gas, and banking. They also own the Raffles Hotel in London. The elder Hindujas, both over 70, did not attend the court proceedings, citing ill health. Ajay and Namrata were present but not at the hearing of the verdict.
Following the verdict, the prosecution requested immediate detention for the younger Hinduja couple, but the judge denied this. The defense reported that Kamal Hinduja is currently in a hospital in Monaco, with the other three family members at his bedside.
This case is not an isolated incident in Geneva, a city known for its wealth and international organizations. Last year, four domestic workers from the Philippines launched a case against a Geneva-based diplomatic mission to the United Nations, claiming they had not been paid for years.
The defense argued that the employees received ample benefits, were not kept in isolation, and were free to leave the villa. They also claimed the employees were "grateful to the Hindujas for offering them a better life."
This case raises serious questions about how wealthy Indian individuals treat poorer compatriots in foreign countries with robust legal protections, and what this implies about their behavior in India, where laws are often exploited by the rich.
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