The Hinduja family, owners of the multinational conglomerate Hinduja Group, have topped the 2024 Sunday Times Rich List, becoming recognized as the richest family in the UK.
Originally from India, the Hinduja relocated their businesses to London back in 1979, steadily expanding its global presence until they became worth an estimated £37bn ($47bn).
Their business operations span 48 countries across various sectors: oil, chemicals, IT, cyber security, automotive, healthcare, trading, infrastructure, media, property, and power.
So it’s a bit surprising to find some senior members of the family involved in a scandal of alleged exploitation and human trafficking.
Four members of Hinduja family are on trial in Switzerland, amid allegations ‘they spent more money caring for their dog than their servants’.
BBC reported:
“The family own a villa in Geneva’s wealthy neighbourhood of Cologny, and the charges against them all relate to their practice of importing servants from India to look after their children and household.
It’s alleged that Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, together with their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, confiscated staff passports, paid them as little as $8 (£7) for 18-hour days, and allowed them little freedom to leave the house.”
A financial settlement over the exploitation charges was reached last week, but the Hindujas remain on trial for trafficking – a serious criminal offence.
They all deny the charges.
“This week in court, one of Geneva’s most famous prosecutors, Yves Bertossa, compared the almost $10,000 a year he claimed the family had spent on their dog, to the daily amount they were allegedly paying their servants.”
The defense lawyers said the low wages must be understood in context – since staff were also receiving accommodation and food.
“But the allegations that servants’ passports were confiscated, and that they could not even leave the house without permission, are serious, because they could be judged as human trafficking.
Mr Bertossa is calling for prison terms, and millions of dollars in compensation as well as legal fees.”
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