Vasundhara Oswal, daughter of billionaire Pankaj Oswal, claims her detention in Uganda for over three weeks was a severe violation of her human rights. Arrested on false charges of kidnapping and murder related to her father’s former employee, Mukesh Menaria, who was later found alive, she described harsh conditions during her incarceration, including denial of basic necessities. Vasundhara was coerced into giving a statement without legal representation and faced extortion attempts by Ugandan police. Although the charges were dismissed in December 2024, she is currently exploring legal options to address her ordeal.
Mumbai:
Vasundhara Oswal, the daughter of Indian-origin billionaire Pankaj Oswal, who was imprisoned for the kidnapping and murder of her father’s former employee in Uganda—later found alive—stated that her over three-week experience in custody amounted to a serious infringement of human rights.
Vasundhara (26) faced false accusations of kidnapping and murdering Mukesh Menaria, a prior employee of her father, Pankaj Oswal, last year. Menaria was subsequently discovered alive in Tanzania.
Speaking to PTI on Friday, Vasundhara remarked, “I was held for five days and then imprisoned for an additional two weeks. My human rights were egregiously neglected. They did not allow me to shower and denied me food and water. My parents had to pay off police officers through lawyers to provide me with food, water, and basic necessities.” She further alleged that at one point, she was forbidden from using the restroom as a form of punishment.
Vasundhara was detained on October 1, 2024, and was released on bail on October 21.
She accused the police of conducting a search of her home without a warrant.
“When I requested to see a search warrant, they replied, ‘We are in Uganda; we can do whatever we like; you are not in Europe anymore.’ They then compelled me to accompany them to Interpol under the guise of meeting their director. When I resisted going that same day, a male officer forcibly picked me up and threw me into their van,” she claimed.
Vasundhara stated she was coerced into giving a statement without the presence of a criminal lawyer.
“We only had a civil lawyer because they refused to give us time, insisting that if I did not make a statement, I would be held indefinitely,” she explained.
After providing a statement, Vasundhara was placed in a cell and told to pay USD 30,000 and present her passport for a police bond.
However, she claimed that even after submitting the required documents, she did not receive a police bond and was returned to the cell.
She further alleged that even after presenting an unconditional release order from the courts, she was unlawfully detained for 72 hours.
Eventually, Vasundhara learned that she was facing charges of kidnapping and attempted murder and was taken to a lower magistrate court rather than a high court.
She revealed that she was initially held in a facility for those arrested for minor offenses and later transferred to a prison housing convicted murderers and human traffickers.
“I spent the next two weeks in Nakasongola prison. Even after it was confirmed that the man (Menaria) was alive, they continued to keep me incarcerated on those charges. They located him on October 10, a week or two before I was granted bail,” she noted.
Vasundhara finally obtained bail on October 21, following attempts to undermine her application, and her passport was returned to her on December 10.
She asserted that the Ugandan police maintained charges against her even after Menaria was found alive and subsequently downgraded the charge to misdemeanor confinement after receiving payment from her family.
“This was essentially done to keep leverage against us and extort more money, as the major error of the Uganda police was their failure to conduct a proper investigation,” she stated.
Vasundhara expressed her desire for the Ugandan government to rectify its errors.
“I feel that other governments have already automatically rectified their errors and have applied the law correctly, without manipulation, to achieve their objectives. Thus, it is up to the Ugandan government to amend its wrongs towards an investor who has dedicated the last three years to building a business in their country,” she said.
The charges against Vasundhara were dismissed on December 19, 2024.
Vasundhara mentioned that she is currently exploring all potential legal options regarding her experiences in prison.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)