Who Is The Swiss-Indian Heiress Facing Unlawful, Inhumane Detention In Uganda

Swiss industrialist Pankaj Oswal has filed an appeal with the United Nations, claiming that his 26-year-old daughter, Vasundhara Oswal, has been unlawfully detained in Uganda. The appeal, submitted to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), follows the alleged abduction of Vasundhara by 20 armed men from the family’s extra-neutral alcohol (ENA) plant in Luwero, Uganda. According to Oswal, the men did not present identification or a warrant.

Vasundhara’s Instagram account detailed the conditions of her detention, describing how she was held in unsanitary conditions and denied basic necessities such as clean water, proper food, and vegetarian meals. The posts also alleged that she was forced to sit in a room filled with shoes for over 90 hours and was not allowed to bathe or change clothes for five days. She was reportedly made to participate in a suspect parade and forced to sleep on a small bench.

The incident allegedly stems from a missing persons case, although Vasundhara’s family believes corporate rivalry may be involved. Her brother described her as a “workaholic” who built the $110 million ENA plant from scratch in 2021. He suggested that the detention was part of an extortion attempt by an unnamed 68-year-old man aiming to damage her reputation.

Despite a court order for her release, Vasundhara was reportedly taken to a local court and charged with murder. Her mother, Radhika Oswal, appealed to the Ugandan government, expressing concern over her daughter’s safety and stating that Vasundhara was being stripped of her basic human rights.

The WGAD, an international human rights body, has been called upon to investigate the case and shine a light on any potential misuse of police powers. Meanwhile, local reports from The Monitor claim that Vasundhara and her company’s lawyer were remanded to prison on charges of kidnapping with intent to kill Mukesh Kumar Menaria, a chef who had worked for the family for seven years.

The case remains under investigation.