Who Are The Hindujas - Billionaires Facing Jail Term For Exploiting Staff

The year was 1914. A young entrepreneur from the Shikarpur town of Sindh district, then part of undivided India, had travelled to Bombay (now Mumbai). His name was Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, and he founded what would, over the next 100 years, become an enviable global business empire worth $20 billion.  

The Hinduja Group expanded to shipping, banking, media, and real estate, including London's prestigious Raffles Hotel, eventually making them the richest family in the United Kingdom.

Today, the Hinduja empire is managed by four brothers – Srichand, Gopichand, Prakash and Ashok. Srichand and Gopichand are based in London and focus on the group's interests in Europe and America. Prakash oversees European operations from Geneva while Ashok manages the group's India ventures from Mumbai, particularly in media and communications. 

They also contribute to healthcare, education, and rural development through the Hinduja Foundation.

Despite their philanthropic contributions, recent legal issues have overshadowed the Hindujas' legacy. Four members of the Hinduja family were sentenced to prison by a Swiss court on Friday for exploiting their household staff. 

The trial

The trial in Geneva revealed disturbing details of mistreatment at the Hinduja family's Swiss villa. They were accused of underpaying workers and keeping them on call without proper breaks. Prosecutors also alleged that while the family spent lavishly on their pet dog, some staff members earned as little as Rs 600 a day for 18 hours of work. 

The family also reportedly confiscated their staff's passports, restricting their freedom to leave the premises without permission, attracting human trafficking charges under Swiss law. Staff members were paid in Indian currency, leaving them without money in Switzerland. 

Workers also said there was a “climate of fear” around the house and they had to work without breaks and were made to sleep on mattresses in the basement.

Who are the ones sentenced?

Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal Hinduja have been sentenced to four years and six months in prison. His son Ajay, 56, and his wife Namrata, 50, were sentenced to four years each.

Prakash P Hinduja, 78, is the Chairman of the Hinduja Group of Companies (Europe) and Advisory Board Chairman at Hinduja Bank Switzerland. He is also a Board member of the Swiss Indian Chamber of Commerce. 

He joined the family business in Tehran, Iran, after completing his University education in India.

Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, 75, have another son, Ramkrishan, and a daughter named Renuka.

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