Four members of Britain's richest family have received jail sentences after being found guilty of exploiting their vulnerable domestic workers and providing unauthorised employment.
Indian-born tycoon Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal, along with their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, were, however, cleared by a Swiss criminal court of more serious charges of human trafficking linked to their servants.
The court ruled the servants, who were mostly illiterate Indians and worked at their lakeside villa in Geneva, knew what they were getting into.
The four family members were sentenced to between four and four-and-a-half years in prison.
The lawyers representing the defendants said they would appeal.
In their defence, the Hinduja family's legal team stated the staff were treated respectfully and provided with accommodation.
The four were accused of seizing workers' passports, paying them in rupees - not Swiss francs - barring them from leaving the villa and forcing them to work very long hours for a pittance in Switzerland, among other things.
Sentences
Prakash and Kamal each received jail sentences of four-and-a-half years, while Ajay and his wife Namrata were sentenced to four years each.
The defendants were not in court in Geneva though a fifth defendant - Najib Ziazi, the family's business manager - was there on Friday. He received an 18-month suspended sentence.
Prakash and Kamal, aged 78 and 75 respectively, reportedly did not attend the trial due to health reasons.
It emerged last week in criminal court the family - which has roots in India - had reached an undisclosed settlement with the plaintiffs. Geneva prosecutors opened the case for alleged illegal activity including exploitation, human trafficking and violation of Swiss labour laws.
What did the prosecution allege?
The prosecution said the workers - who were in jobs such as cooks or house help - were sometimes forced to work up to 18 hours a day with little or no holiday time off.
And their pay was less than one-tenth of the comparable amount required under Swiss law, it was alleged.
Employees worked even later hours for receptions and slept in the basement of the villa in the upmarket Cologny area - sometimes on a mattress on the floor, said prosecutors, who described a "climate of fear" brought by Kamal Hinduja.
Some workers allegedly spoke only Hindi and were paid their wages in Indian rupees in banks back home that they could not access.
Swiss authorities have already seized jewellery including diamonds, rubies, a platinum necklace, as well as other assets, from the family in anticipation they could be used to pay for legal fees and possible penalties.
The Hinduja family controls 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 older sibling Srichand died in May 2023.
Prakash is chair of the Hinduja Group in Europe, while a fourth brother Ashok is chair of Hinduja Group of Companies (India).
The family, led by Gopichand, topped the 2024 Sunday Times rich list with a combined wealth of £37.196bn.
Kamal --> Kamala Harris, both of Indian heritage
Namrata --> Nimrata Haley, otherwise known as Nikki Haley, both of Indian heritage.
Funny. Those were my exact same thoughts.
So? Want to go into how many UK/American names of convicts/fraudsters/murderers/felons match up to people you know?
Ffs, India has 1.47 billion people. There's only so many names to go around.
I'm not defending Harris or Haley here. I'm saying that to use guilt by association (of names, no less) is just lazy and silly as hell. Let's go with eye color and ear piercings next. 🙄
People talk about dog communications having a big meaning. Famous people Tweet about their dogs have health problems or even dying, and someone posts here that it has meaning.
I think there may be a bigger symbolism present than "dog comms" when a wealthy Indian family, having first names that correspond to the Vice President and a presidential candidate, is arrested. Will we see Kamala and Nimrata Haley arrested? I don't know but I hope.
Everything isn't a comm. Sometimes things are simply what they are.
Now do all the politicians.
How much do you want to bet this is happening in other countries, too? In Canada, you can hardly find a Tim Horton's coffee shop that isn't run by people from India. They will carpool in from the city to smaller towns, and work the whole day. Something is VERY fishy about it. Same goes for other businesses. People working long shifts is a red flag, because no one wants to pay overtime if they don't have to. Unless you just aren't worried about overtime. Hmmm...
People are getting fed up with it. All the jobs that once went to Canadian youth, now are getting taken by foreigners. Now, I don't care so much if they are working 100% within the law, and they are here legally. They have a right to work. However, if you are breaking the law and using these people as underpaid slaves, something needs to be done.
Now do all the people who committed crimes against kids
Welcome to 2024.
The Indian people are some of the worst in the world when it comes to exploiting cheap labor. Research their ages old cast system.
It's how they get so rich in the first place. It's how ALL the super wealthy have gotten that way. Exploit cheap labor. Africa, Asia, or anywhere they can get away with it.
Is it easier to become a billionaire if you rely on slave labour?
Why do we allow these Stone Age people into our nations?
Think of all the businesses in North America that have gotten HUGE by outsourcing their jobs to Asia. It's outsourced slavery, period.
That's why I am concerned by Trump's intend to give citizenship to foreign college students. They bring with them the whole village and their ways no matter how educated and financially stable they may be. Cultural differences
“British” 🙄
These people should be hung, their money and wealth taken, and given to the hired slave help that they mistreated.
*hanged, but yes
The problem throughout the centuries and in all cultures is that the elite think of people as cattle.
That is just the obvious slavery. What is it about? The narrative says,we do prosecute slavery, even when it hits the richest people. So you will stay calm and not realise, that we are all slaves of the system, the matrix if you want. It was a local court, and the case is not over by far, but the narrative is out. You will not read the end, when they all walk free.