Four members of the Hinduja family, including Ajay Hinduja, his wife Namrata, and his parents Prakash and Kamal, have been convicted of exploiting underpaid servants at their Geneva villa.
The elder Hindujas received 4 1/2 years in prison, while Ajay and his wife were sentenced to 4 years, while acquitted of human trafficking charges, it remains unclear if any of them will serve jail time.
The exploited domestic staff, vulnerable due to their situation in India, lack of language skills, and confiscated passports, were paid irregularly, every 3-6 months.
The Hindujas were knowledgeable of Swiss regulations and the staff’s vulnerabilities. Despite an appeal filed by the family, the ruling represents a significant win for Yves Bertossa, Geneva’s leading prosecutor.
The family’s lawyers expressed disappointment with the verdict, noting the appeal.
Bertossa, known for prior convictions of figures like mining tycoon Beny Steinmetz and rogue banker Patrice Lescaudron, sees this as another milestone.
The case dates back to 2018, when Swiss authorities raided the Hinduja villa and offices of Hinduja Bank, seizing documents related to family accounts. The bank itself faced no allegations of misconduct.
Founded in 1914 by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, the Hinduja empire spans finance, media, and energy, with stakes in six Indian publicly traded firms. Their combined wealth of over $14 billion places them among Asia’s wealthiest families.
