Hindujas 'appalled' by jail term; file appeal

LONDON: Britain's wealthiest family, the Hindujas, have said they are "appalled" by a Swiss court's ruling of jail terms for some members and have filed an appeal in a higher court challenging the verdict finding them guilty of exploiting domestic workers from India employed at their villa in Geneva.

A spokesperson for the affected family members, Kamal and Prakash Hinduja and their son Ajay and his wife Namrata - who are all Swiss nationals, pointed out on Saturday that neither of them have been subjected to any "imprisonment, conviction, sentence or detention."

"Per Swiss law procedures, the lower court's judgement is rendered ineffective and inoperative as the presumption of innocence is paramount until and unless a final judgment by the highest adjudicating authority is enforced," the family's spokesperson said.

"It may be noted the case has no complainants left anymore and they had declared in the court that they were led into signing statements that they didn't understand. They had neither intended to nor initiated proceedings. All of them further testified that the four Hinduja family members treated them with 'respect, dignity and like family'," the spokesperson said.

Earlier on Friday, in a statement issued on behalf of the family stressed their clients had been acquitted of all human trafficking charges. They also dismissed media reports that any members of the family faced detention after court reports from Geneva said the four were sentenced to between four and four-and-a-half years in prison. pti