Pankaj Oswal, a renowned industrialist of Indian origin, has filed an appeal with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, seeking international intervention in the alleged illegal detention of his 26-year-old daughter, Vasundhara Oswal, in Uganda.
According to Oswal, his daughter has been detained without trial since 1 October, following what he claims to be “corporate and political manipulation”, reported EU Reporter.
Vasundhara, the executive director of PRO Industries, has reportedly been denied basic rights, including access to family and legal representation. Pankaj Oswal alleged that the charges against her were fabricated by a former employee, who had stolen valuables and taken a loan of USD 200,000 with Oswal’s family as guarantors.
When the Oswal family refused to repay the loan, they allegedly faced false accusations aimed at evading the financial obligations. Despite the employee being apprehended in Tanzania, Vasundhara has been unjustly accused of kidnapping and attempted murder, according to her father.
In his appeal to the UN, Oswal detailed the harsh conditions under which his daughter is being held, stating that Vasundhara was interrogated under degrading circumstances, held for over 90 hours without access to her family or a lawyer, and transferred between various prisons to prevent contact with her loved ones.
Even after a court ordered her unconditional release, Oswal claimed that Ugandan authorities continued to detain her, adding inadmissible charges to block her release on bail.
Vasundhara’s mother, Radhika Oswal, expressed her anguish in an interview, describing the situation as “every mother’s nightmare” and calling for her daughter’s immediate release. She emphasised the denial of Vasundhara’s basic human rights and dignity during her imprisonment.
Additionally, Oswal has written an open letter to the President of Uganda, appealing for his intervention. In a further effort to secure his daughter’s release, Oswal has engaged renowned human rights lawyer Cherie Blair CBE, KC, whose office stated that Vasundhara’s treatment constitutes a breach of both domestic and international laws.
The Oswal family, known for their global business ventures, has paused their plans to invest USD 150 million in a new alcohol plant in Uganda until the situation is resolved.
Vasundhara Oswal, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Switzerland, has been credited with spearheading sustainability initiatives and debt reduction projects at PRO Industries. Despite her professional achievements, she now finds herself in a foreign prison, caught in what her family describes as a politically motivated case.