Four members of the Hinduja family who exploited subordinates received sentences of up to 4.5 years.

The Hinduja family members were found to have exploited the laborers by the court.
but denies the accused's allegations of engaging in human trafficking.
To be contested in a higher court
A Swiss court has sentenced four members of the affluent Hinduja family to four to 4.5 years in prison for taking advantage of their domestic staff at their estate on Lake Geneva. The AP noted that the judge dismissed the accusations of human trafficking.

Prakash Hinduja received a sentence of 4.5 years, as did his spouse Kamal. Both their son Ajay and his spouse Namrata received four-year sentences. A higher court will hear an appeal of the order from the four defendants.

The Hinduja family members were found guilty by the Swiss court of exploiting their workers and giving them inadequate health insurance. The staff members' compensation was less than tenth of what others in similar positions in Switzerland were paid, the court further observed.

The judge, however, rejected the accusations of trafficking, stating that the workers knew what they were getting themselves into.

The Hinduja family, the wealthiest family in Britain, was accused by the prosecution of seizing the passports of the workers, who were primarily uneducated Indians. They were also accused of paying more for their dog's expenses than for an employee's pay.
In addition, the workers received their pay in rupees rather than Swiss francs.

In addition, the workers claimed that the four members had them work long hours and prohibited them from leaving the property. In fact, the employees were frequently made to work up to eighteen hours a day with little to no vacation time.

The family, who are Indian by origin, moved to Switzerland in the late 1980s.

The Hinduja family is involved in the media, real estate, power, information technology, and healthcare industries. According to Forbes, the Hinduja family has a net worth of almost $20 billion.