The wealthy Hinduja family has been sentenced by a Swiss court for exploiting vulnerable domestic workers from India at their Geneva villa, Deutsche Welle reports.
The family was accused of trafficking mostly illiterate workers, who were forced to work 16-hour days without overtime pay and had their passports confiscated. They were paid in Indian rupees, between $250-450 a month, up to 90% less than Swiss wages, into inaccessible bank accounts in India.
A Swiss court found four Hinduja family members guilty of “usury,” including Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal, their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, and received prison sentences of up to four years and six months in jail. Their business manager received an 18-month suspended sentence. The family plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that the workers received ample benefits and downplaying the exploitation claims, stating the workers were grateful for the opportunity.
