Britain’s wealthiest business family, the Hinduja family, was found guilty of violating the Swiss labor laws and was given 4.5 years of imprisonment to 4 members, but according to their spokespersons, none of them have been put in jail. The lawyers of this billionaire family have appealed to the higher court challenging the verdict.
The case against Hindujas
All four accused members of the Hinduja family are Swiss citizens, and they were accused of seizing the passports of their domestic workers who worked on their villas, preventing them from leaving the premises and working for very long hours continuously. The labor laws of Switzerland are very strict, and this was a clear violation of the existing laws. The workers only spoke Hindi and were paid their entire wages in Rupees in their bank amounts in India, which they cannot access.
During the trial, there were allegations that these members of the Hinduja family spent more on their dogs than on their domestic help. However, the legal teams of Hinduja family have countered these allegations and mentioned that all the staff were treated with utmost respect and provided with all the required accommodations. However, the Swiss courts found these four members guilty, and hence, they were given jail time of 4.5 years.
The spokesperson of this billionaire family has stated that under Swiss laws, the presumption of innocence is paramount till a final judgment is passed by the highest adjudicating authority. According to the spokesperson, some media reports indicate that the four accused have been imprisoned, but this is not the case. The legal team has stated that their clients have been acquitted of all human traffic-related charges, and regarding the labor law volition charges, they are filing an appeal to the higher court.
Why are the Hindujas important?
The Hinduja family is considered the wealthiest family in the UK, with an estimated wealth of nearly 37.196 billion GBP. The wealth of this family has increased exponentially in the last year after opening a brand new luxury OWO Raffles Hotel in the heart of London. This family’s group of companies is currently headed by GP Hinduja, and they have factories in more than 48 countries around the world. Hinduja family is in the business of finance, oil and specialty chemicals, IT and even healthcare; they are one of the major contributors to the UK’s GDP.
What the legal system of the rest of the world can learn from Switzerland?
Very rarely do we see that a billionaire has been subjected to imprisonment mainly because of their massive wealth and connections. In developing nations like India, most of the cases related to billionaires or any wealthy individuals are settled outside of the court, nothing gets proven against them. These wealthy individuals can easily exploit the legal loopholes, and sometimes, law enforcement officers side with these individuals and tamper with the evidence.
However, the Swiss court has found the Hinduja family members of a billion-dollar business family guilty, valuing only the evidence, not their wealth or connections. The legal system of the rest of the world should learn from this case and make sure that fair and unbiased trials are being conducted and that the rules are the same for everyone.
There is no way of predicting the verdicts of the higher courts in the Hinduja case; only with time can we see the progress of the case. However, there is no doubt that the entire world has recognised that the legal system of Switzerland is fair. If you are proven guilty, you will be imprisoned; it does no matter if you are a common person or a billionaire.
