Hinduja family: Here’s why Ajay Hinduja along with his wife Namrata and his parents, were sentenced to jail by Swiss courts.
Najib Ziazi, the
Hinduja family’s business manager, received an 18-month suspended sentence. ( Pic: Hinduja Group logo
New Delhi: Four members of the Hinduja family, Indian-born billionaires, were convicted on Friday in Switzerland for exploiting underpaid servants at their luxurious villa in Geneva. Prakash Hinduja (78) and Kamal Hinduja (75), elder brothers who did not attend the trial due to health reasons, each received prison sentences of 4 1/2 years. Ajay Hinduja and his wife, absent from the courtroom, received slightly shorter sentences of 4 years each.
Charges on Ajay Hinduja and family
Ajay Hinduja, as a family scion, along with his wife Namrata and his parents, were found guilty of exploiting Indian staff members hired at rates significantly below Swiss standards. Najib Ziazi, the Hinduja family’s business manager, received an 18-month suspended sentence.
Following the court’s decision, the Hindujas expressed disappointment and announced their appeal to challenge the verdict, which accused them of exploiting vulnerable domestic workers, according to PTI news agency.
Family members were accused of confiscating workers’ passports, restricting them from leaving the villa, and compelling them to work long hours for minimal pay in Switzerland. Some workers, who spoke only Hindi, were reportedly paid in rupees into inaccessible bank accounts in India. The family’s legal team denied the allegations, arguing in court that the staff were treated respectfully and provided adequate accommodation.
Last week, it was disclosed in court that the family had reached an undisclosed settlement with the plaintiffs. Swiss authorities seized diamonds, rubies, a platinum necklace, and other assets to cover potential legal expenses and penalties.
Who are the Hindujas?
The Hinduja brothers—Srichand, Gopichand, Prakash (currently sentenced), and Ashok—are the sons of Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, who founded a commodities-trading business in British India’s Sindh region in 1914. The family quickly diversified their interests, initially finding success in distributing Bollywood films internationally.
Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja established a commodities-trading business in 1914 in British India’s Sindh region, which his four sons expanded into various sectors. They initially gained prominence by distributing Bollywood films internationally. Srichand, the eldest son, passed away in 2023.
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