The Hindujas, who did not attend court, were cleared of human trafficking but found guilty of other charges on Friday. This surprising verdict affects the family, whose wealth is estimated at £37 billion.
Prakash Hinduja and his wife, Kamal, were each sentenced to four and a half years in prison, while their son Ajay and his wife, Namrata, got four-year sentences.
The case arose because the family brought servants from India and allegedly took their passports once they arrived in Switzerland.
Prosecutors said the Hindujas paid their staff very little and restricted their freedom to leave the house. The family denied this, claiming the prosecutors were targeting them unfairly.
The Hindujas privately settled with the three employees who accused them, but prosecutors continued the case due to the seriousness of the charges.
Geneva prosecutor Yves Bertossa asked for five and a half year prison sentences for Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, aged 78 and 75. Both had missed the trial from the start due to health reasons.
In his closing statement, the prosecutor accused the family of exploiting the power imbalance between employer and employee to save money.
Household staff were paid between 220 and 400 Swiss francs (£195-£350) a month, much less than the typical salary in Switzerland. Bertossa told the court, "They're profiting from the world's misery."
The Hindujas' defense lawyers claimed the three employees received good benefits, were not isolated, and were free to leave the villa. Nicolas Jeandin said, "We are not dealing with mistreated slaves."
Another lawyer, Robert Assael, argued that the employees were thankful to the Hindujas for providing them a better life.
Yael Hayat, representing Ajay Hinduja, criticized the "excessive" charges, arguing that the trial should focus on "justice, not social justice".
Namrata Hinduja’s lawyer, Romain Jordan, also sought acquittal, suggesting the prosecutors aimed to set an example with the family. He argued that the prosecution did not mention additional payments made to staff beyond their cash salaries.
Assael also stated, "No employee was underpaid."
The Hinduja Group operates in oil and gas, banking, and healthcare across 38 countries, employing around 200,000 people.
SOURCE: The Guardian