How the rich and famous Hinduja family ended up in a Swiss court – Firstpost

A Swiss court sentenced the four members of Britain’s richest family to prison for exploiting Indian staff in their Geneva villa. While the members of the rich and famous Hinduja family were acquitted of human trafficking charges, they were found guilty on other charges.

In the historic verdict announced on Friday, Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal were each sentenced to four years and six months in prison, while their son Ajay and his wife Namrata were each given four years in prison.

The ruling made big headlines in the UK because the family’s fortune is worth £37 billion and their business spans several countries.

What sets Hindujas apart from other rich and famous families is their centuries-old heritage. Although the family is known for sticking together and building a strong empire, it is not free from controversies. Here’s a look at the history of the Hindujas, what the case is about and what happens next.

Who are the Hindujas?

The family began building an empire as early as 1914, when Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja founded a raw materials trading company in the Sindh region of British India (now Pakistan).

PD Hinduja is considered the mediator of trade relations between India and Persia. He initially worked in Shikarpur (now Pakistan) and Bombay, and in 1919 he founded the company’s first international branch in Iran.

Interestingly, the Hinduja company’s headquarters remained in Iran until 1979, when the Islamic Revolution forced it to move to Europe. PD’s two eldest sons, former chairman Srichand Hinduja and his brother Gopichand, also co-chairman, moved to London in 1979 to set up the export business.

Meanwhile, the third brother, Prakash Hinduja, who had been sentenced to prison, ran the business in Geneva, Switzerland, while the youngest brother, Ashok, looked after the Indian interests.

Interestingly, the Hinduja group also enjoyed success in international distribution of Bollywood films. After the death of PD Hinduja’s eldest son, Srichand, in 2023, the three brothers took over the management of the company.

The multi-billionaire family is active in finance, media and energy and owns stakes in six listed Indian companies. They are also one of the richest families in the world.

The UK-based family group of companies, currently led by Chairman GP Hinduja, operates in 48 countries and across multiple sectors.

What was the case about?

The conviction was based on a case filed in 2018. When Swiss prosecutors acted on a tip-off and searched her Geneva villa, Bloomberg reported. Prosecutors accused the family of bringing in servants from their native India, exploiting them and paying them only a tenth of the wages prescribed by the state.

The family was accused of confiscating the employees’ passports after they arrived in Switzerland. The Hindujas allegedly allowed their employees little or no freedom and kept them in inhumane conditions.

From the beginning of the proceedings, the Hindujas have denied the allegations. However, it was reported that the family had reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with the three employees who made the allegations against them. Despite the settlement, prosecutors decided to continue to pursue the case given the seriousness of the situation.

Geneva prosecutor Yves Bertossa demanded prison sentences of five and a half years for Prakash and Kamal Hinduja. Both had been absent for health reasons since the start of the trial. In his closing argument, Bertossa accused the family of abusing the “asymmetrical situation” between a powerful employer and a defenseless employee in order to save money.

“They profit from the misery of the world,” Bertossa explained in court. The Hinduja family’s defense attorneys argued that the three plaintiffs received ample social benefits and were not isolated. The defendants argued that the employees could leave the villa at any time. “We are not dealing with mistreated slaves,” Nicolas Jeandin explained in court.

The infamous family feud

The family is considered inseparable; in fact, they were so close that three of the brothers’ sons got married on the same day in Mumbai.

However, this is not the first time that the world has seen the Hindujas in a bad light. The dispute between the family began in 2016 when Srichand insisted that the family assets should be divided.

Starting in 2018, the brothers began lobbying the Swiss-headquartered Hinduja Bank, which was then headed by Srichanda, claiming that the eldest brother lacked the competence to run the private bank.

In November 2019, Srichand filed a lawsuit in the Business and Property Court in London against his brothers’ takeover of the bank based on a 2014 family agreement. In return, the brothers stated that Vinoo, SP’s daughter, should not represent her father in the proceedings.

At the time, Srichand was suffering from Lewy Body Disease, a form of dementia. Ultimately, the court approved Vinoo’s appointment and she still heads the bench.

What happens next?

Shortly after the verdict was announced, the Hinduja family said they were “horrified” by the verdict. They also mentioned that they had filed an appeal in a higher court to challenge the verdict.

“Our clients were acquitted of all charges of human trafficking. We are appalled and disappointed by the rest of the decision of this trial court and have of course appealed to the High Court, which has rendered this part of the verdict ineffective,” said the statement from lawyers Yael Hayat and Robert Assael, as well as Roman Jordan, who are representing the family.

“Under Swiss law, the presumption of innocence applies until a final judgment of the highest judicial authority is executed. Contrary to some media reports, there is no effective detention for family members,” they continued.

The lawyers also pointed out that “it should be remembered that the plaintiffs in this case had withdrawn their respective lawsuits after explaining to the court that they had never intended to participate in such proceedings.” They ended the letter with an assurance that “the truth will prevail.”

With inputs from agencies.