A Swiss criminal court sentenced four members of the wealthy Hinduja family to prison terms of four to four and a half years on Friday for exploiting their vulnerable domestic workers. The convicted include Prakash Hinduja, his wife, son, and daughter-in-law, all of whom were found guilty of exploiting their mostly illiterate Indian servants who worked at their luxury villa in Geneva. The court dismissed the more severe charges of human trafficking, stating that the workers were aware of the nature of their employment.
The accused were found guilty of confiscating workers’ passports, paying them in rupees instead of Swiss francs, restricting their movement, and forcing them to work long hours for meager wages. Although the four family members were absent from the court, their business manager, Najib Ziazi, was present and received an 18-month suspended sentence. The family had reached an undisclosed settlement with the plaintiffs, but prosecutors pursued the case due to allegations of illegal exploitation and breaches of Swiss labor laws.
Swiss authorities have confiscated valuable assets from the Hinduja family, including diamonds and jewelry, to cover legal fees and potential penalties. The staff were reported to have worked up to 18 hours a day under harsh conditions, sometimes sleeping on mattresses in the basement of the villa. Prakash Hinduja, who became a Swiss citizen in 2000, also faces a separate pending tax case. Despite previous convictions, he continued to employ people without proper documentation. The Hinduja family, led by Prakash and his brothers, owns a global industrial conglomerate valued at around $20 billion by Forbes.
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