Criminal court to rule on alleged Indian trafficking by Hinduja family – Firstpost

A Swiss criminal court will rule Friday on whether members of a billionaire family mistreated their mostly illiterate Indian servants who worked in their opulent Lake Geneva villa and participated in drug trafficking. illegal human beings.

Among other things, four members of the Hinduja family are accused of confiscating the workers' passports, paying them in rupees instead of Swiss francs, preventing them from leaving the villa and making them work unbearable hours for meager remuneration in Switzerland.

If found guilty in the trial which began on June 10, Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal, as well as their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, could be sentenced to prison terms of 4 1/2 to 5 years and half. Najib Ziazi, their business advisor, is also on trial.

The family, of Indian origin, was revealed to have reached an undisclosed deal with the complainants last week in a criminal court. Geneva prosecutors opened the case on charges of human trafficking, exploitation and violation of Swiss labor regulations.

The family moved to Switzerland many years ago and Prakash was convicted in 2007 of similar, albeit minor, offences. However, according to the prosecution, he continued to hire people without the necessary documents.