Four members of Britain’s richest family were jailed in Switzerland on Friday for exploiting Indian staff at their Geneva mansion.
The Hindujas — who were not present in court — were acquitted of human trafficking, but convicted on other charges in a stunning verdict for the family whose fortune is estimated at 37 billion pounds ($47 billion).
Prakash and Kamal Hinduja were each sentenced to four years and six months, while their son Ajay and his wife Namrata received four-year sentences, according to the presiding judge in Geneva.
The charges involved bringing servants from India and allegedly confiscating their passports upon arrival in Switzerland.
Prosecutors contended that the Hindujas paid their staff very little and restricted their freedom to leave the house.
The family denied these allegations, asserting that prosecutors aimed to “bring down the Hindujas.”
They eventually reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with the three employees who had accused them.
Despite the settlement, the prosecution continued with the case due to the severity of the charges.
Geneva prosecutor Yves Bertossa sought a five-and-a-half-year custodial sentence for Prakash and Kamal Hinduja. Both, aged 78 and 75, had been absent from the trial since its outset due to health reasons.
In his closing remarks, the prosecutor accused the family of exploiting the “asymmetrical situation” between the powerful employers and their vulnerable employees to cut costs.
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