In a stunning fall from grace last weekend, four members of the billionaire Hinduja family were sentenced to prison in Switzerland for allegedly subjecting domestic servants to illegal and oppressive working conditions.
The convictions are sure to lead to a withdrawal of prominent figures from the family's roster, which is among Britain's wealthiest. The Sunday Times Their net worth is estimated at more than $45 billion. (Forbes They estimate it at a more modest $20 billion.
Prakash Hinduja, head of European operations for the Hinduja conglomerate that bears his name, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, as was his wife Kamal, while his son Ajay was also sentenced to four years in prison, along with his wife Namrata.
Prosecutors say the Hindujas spent more money on the dogs than they did on the employees at their Lake Geneva property, who were forced to work 18-hour days and sometimes received less than $10 in wages. The Hindujas are also accused of restricting their employees' travel, including by taking away their passports.
Swiss prosecutor Yves Bertossa charged that the Hindujas spent more on the dogs each year than they paid their staff.
In the most egregious cases, employees “worked 18 hours a day, seven days a week and were paid less than $8,” according to prosecutors. Telegraph report.
The Hindujas were also accused of denying their employees freedom of movement, including taking away their passports and barring them from going out “without the employer's permission”.
Lawyers for the Hinduja family contested the charges. “No other family would have been treated this way. Our clients are determined to defend themselves and have faith in the justice system,” one of their lawyers, Roman Jordan, said before the guilty verdict.
The Hindujas faced charges of exploitation and illegal employment as well as human trafficking. They were acquitted of the trafficking charge but expressed outrage at being convicted on the other charges.
“Our client was found not guilty of all human trafficking charges. We are appalled and disappointed by the remaining sentence handed down by this trial court and will of course appeal to a higher court, which will result in this sentence being amended. [judgment] It is not effective,” their lawyers said in a statement.
The Hinduja family's wealth comes from an India-based conglomerate with numerous global divisions specializing in chemicals, banking, media, real estate and other sectors. The company, which employs more than 200,000 people, was founded by Prakash Hinduja's father, Parmanand.
It's not yet clear how the guilty verdicts will affect business operations, and other family members are likely to step in if the defendants end up in prison.
Prakash, known as “PP”, started working for the company in Iran after graduating and then moved to Geneva to head the European operation. He has lived in Monaco since 2008.
It was not so long ago that Hindus enjoyed close ties with dignitaries and notable people.
In 2023, Prakash and Kamal were photographed with Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, at a reception at the Hinduja Group's new luxury hotel in London. Chancellor Rishi Sunak reportedly also stopped by, and Andrea Bocelli and Andrew Lloyd Webber performed.
Prakash and his brother Ashok have met former Spanish King Juan Carlos I. Prakash has also had photographs with a South African minister, the president of Nigeria and the Dalai Lama, and enjoyed the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France.
Other members of the Hinduja dynasty not named in the criminal indictment were close friends with Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Scherzinger, King Charles and former prime minister Tony Blair.
Perhaps most infamously, Labour politician Peter Mandelson resigned as a British minister under Tony Blair in 2001 after allegations emerged that he had helped Prakash's late brother, Shrichand, obtain British citizenship in exchange for the family's donations to public works.
“I never admit to any wrongdoing in relation to my application for naturalisation as a British citizen,” Mandelson said at the time.
As Parents A 2001 report said “Hinduja tentacles influence prominent figures in all the major political parties” and that in the last election, around a dozen Labour and Conservative candidates [were] It is rumoured that he received donations from the Brethren at Westminster.”
The media outlet noted that some members of the family “may face corruption charges in India over the arms scandal.” The charges against them were later dropped.