Wed Oct 16 18:02:53 UTC 2024: ## Indian Industrialist Appeals to UN over Daughter’s Detention in Uganda
**Mumbai, India** – Pankaj Oswal, chairman of the Oswal Group and renowned for establishing the world’s largest ammonia plant in Australia, has appealed to the United Nations for international intervention in the alleged illegal detention of his daughter, Vasundhara Oswal, in Uganda.
Oswal claims his 26-year-old daughter, executive director of PRO Industries, has been detained without trial since October 1st, 2023, following what he alleges is “corporate and political manipulation” by Ugandan authorities.
According to Oswal, the charges against Vasundhara stem from a former employee who allegedly stole valuables and took a loan of $200,000 with Oswal’s family as guarantors. After the family refused to repay the loan, Oswal claims the employee filed false allegations against Vasundhara in an attempt to evade their financial obligations. He further alleges that despite the employee being apprehended in Tanzania with evidence of theft, Vasundhara has been unjustly accused of kidnapping and attempted murder.
Oswal asserts that despite a court order for Vasundhara’s unconditional release, Ugandan police have continued to detain her, adding inadmissible charges to prevent her from securing bail. He also claims that his daughter has been subjected to degrading interrogation, denied access to legal counsel and family, and held in a prison with convicted murderers, despite not being convicted or facing trial.
In a letter to the Ugandan president, Oswal has demanded Vasundhara’s unconditional release and threatened to halt a $150 million investment in an Extra-Neutral Alcohol plant being set up in Uganda.
Oswal’s appeal to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calls for international scrutiny of the alleged illegal detention and violation of Vasundhara’s fundamental rights. The case highlights concerns about the rule of law and justice system in Uganda, and the potential impact of such allegations on foreign investment in the country.
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