'Male Officer Picked Me Up And...': Vasundhara Oswal Recounts Uganda Jail Ordeal

Vasundhara Oswal was illegally detained and arrested in Uganda for alleged kidnapping and murder, which were later proven false. She faced human rights violations during her detention.

Vasundhara Oswal speaks to ABP Network.

Source : ABP Live

Vasundhara Oswal, daughter of Indian-origin billionaire Pankaj Oswal, who was illegally detained for five days and arrested for two weeks in Uganda, has narrated her ordeal which she faced in the African nation.

The 26-year-old Vasundhara was falsely charged with the kidnapping and murder of Mukesh Menaria, a former employee of her father, last year. He was later found alive in Tanzania.

While talking exclusively to ABP Live, Vasundhara said, "My human rights were grossly violated. The police didn't have a search warrant. When I asked them to present a search warrant, they said that we are in Uganda, we can do anything, you're not in Europe anymore and they basically proceeded to raid."

She said that the officials then forced her to go to Interpol office under false pretences and to make a statement without a lawyer. "When I didn't want to do it the same day, a male officer picked me up and threw me inside their van," she alleged. "We did not have time to get a criminal lawyer. They informed me that if I did not make a statement, I would be held for a long period of time," she said.

After this, Vasundhara was arrested and required to pay USD 30,000 and surrender her passport for a police bond. Still, she was not released. Instead, she was held for another 72 hours. "It was the first time they told me I was being charged with kidnap with an attempt to murder basically and they proceeded to take me to a lower level magistrate court where they charged me with kidnap with attempt to murder which is not even allowed," she said.

After two days, she was transferred to Nakasongola prison, a facility known for keeping convicted murderers and human traffickers. "I was in Nakasongola prison for two weeks. Even when they found out that Menaria was alive on October 10, they still did not let me go," she said.

She added, "I think we hired about 20 different lawyers at the time to handle my case, but each of those lawyers was paid off by these business competitors to either not not get me my bail application to sign in the prison or did not send a car to come pick me up, to go to the court for the hearing. So they did everything possible to ensure that I did not get bail. With God's grace on October 21, I did manage to get the bail."

Who is Vasundhara Oswal?

Vasundhara is a key figure in East Africa's ethanol production industry. She has also demonstrated strong leadership in the global expansion of the Oswal Group, particularly in East Africa amongst her business achievements. She has won many awards including Global Youth Icon Award for 2023 and being named Woman of the Year by the Economic Times.

She also founded PRO Industries during her second year of graduation and is currently the firm's Executive Director, according to the company's website.