Billionaire Hinduja family faces human trafficking charges in Swiss court: 5 shocking revelations

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

New Delhi:

The Hindujas, the UK's richest family, are on trial in Geneva for human trafficking and exploitation of staff at their Swiss villa, according to a Bloomberg report. Four family members were accused of confiscating their employees' passports and paying them only ₹600 for long working hours.

The Hinduja family has an estimated net worth of $20 billion. They oversee the multinational conglomerate Hinduja Group, which covers various sectors such as shipping, banking, media, etc. They also own significant real estate assets in London, including the prestigious Raffles London Hotel.

Here are 5 shocking revelations from the Hindujas trial:

1. Prosecutors revealed that the Hinduja family spent significantly more on their pet dog than on a member of their staff. Swiss prosecutor Yves Bertossa said the family's annual expenses for their dog amounted to 8,584 Swiss francs (₹8,09,399), while some staff reportedly worked up to 18 hours a day, seven days on seven, for just 7 Swiss francs (₹660) per day.

2. The family allegedly confiscated the passports of its Indian staff members, thereby restricting their freedom to leave the premises without permission. This potentially constitutes human trafficking within the meaning of Swiss law.

3. The staff were paid in Indian currency, which left them without money in Switzerland.

4. Staff contracts apparently did not specify working hours or days off, but required them to be available as needed by the family. This lack of clarity contributed to the alleged exploitation, according to the prosecutor's arguments in court.

5. The defense responded to the accusations, saying that it treated its staff with respect and provided them with accommodation and meals as part of their compensation. They pointed out that staff had returned to work for the family on several occasions, which they said showed they were happy with their working conditions.

Representing the Hindujas, Romain Jordan denied the allegations, saying the family was not directly involved in recruiting or managing their staff. He accused prosecutors of bias against the billionaire family, saying no other family would be treated this way.

Prosecutors are now seeking heavy prison sentences for Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal, their son Ajay and his wife Namrata. They also want the family to pay 1 million Swiss francs towards legal costs and for a compensation fund of 3.5 million francs to be set up for affected staff, according to reports.