June 21st 2024.
Yesterday, an extremely wealthy man from India, along with three members of his family, were sentenced to prison for their actions towards domestic workers at their villa in Switzerland. The workers were not treated well, as their passports were taken away and they were not allowed to leave the villa. They were also made to work for up to 18 hours a day, which is a very long time. The court in Switzerland decided that the most serious charge of human trafficking against the 79-year-old tycoon, Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal, his son Ajay, and his daughter-in-law Namrata, was not applicable. This was because the workers understood, at least in part, what they were getting into. However, they were still given prison sentences ranging from four to four and a half years.
The workers were mainly from India and were not able to read or write. They were paid in Indian rupees, which were deposited into banks back home that they could not even access. The lawyers representing the defendants plan to appeal the court's decision. One of the lawyers, Robert Assael, stated that he was relieved that the human trafficking charges were dismissed, but he still believed that the sentences were too harsh. He also mentioned that the health of his clients, who are all elderly, was not good and that is why they were not present in court. In fact, Kamal Hinduja, who is 75 years old, is currently in intensive care and her family is by her side. Another person involved in the case, Najib Ziazi, the family's business manager, received a suspended sentence of 18 months.
It was revealed in court last week that the family had reached a settlement with the workers, but the details of the settlement were not disclosed. Swiss authorities have taken possession of some of the family's assets, such as diamonds, rubies, and other valuable jewelry, in anticipation of using them to pay for legal fees and any potential fines. The Hinduja family is known for their business ventures in various industries, including information technology, media, power, real estate, and healthcare. According to Forbes magazine, their net worth is estimated to be around $20 billion. The family moved to Switzerland in the 1980s, and Prakash Hinduja has previously been convicted on similar charges in 2007. He also faces a separate tax case brought by Swiss authorities, as he obtained Swiss citizenship in 2000.
The court found the four family members guilty of exploiting the workers by not providing proper employment benefits or healthcare, and by paying them wages that were significantly lower than what they should have been receiving for their work in Switzerland. The prosecutors described a "climate of fear" created by Kamal Hinduja, and the workers were not given any vacation time and often had to work very late hours, especially for receptions. They were forced to sleep in the basement, sometimes on a mattress on the floor.
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