Wed Oct 16 18:02:54 UTC 2024: ## Indian Businesswoman Illegally Detained in Uganda, Family Appeals for Her Release
**Kampala, Uganda** – Vasundhara Oswal, a young Indian businesswoman and daughter of billionaire Pankaj Oswal, has been detained in Uganda since October 1st under controversial circumstances. Her family alleges she is being held without warrant, denied basic rights, and subjected to inhumane treatment.
Oswal, the Executive Director of PRO Industries, was visiting an alcohol plant in Uganda when she was apprehended by armed men claiming to be law enforcement. Her lawyer, Rita Ngabire, and several colleagues have also been detained.
Pankaj Oswal claims the detention is based on “false allegations” made by a former employee who stole valuables and took a loan with the Oswal family as guarantors. He has filed an urgent appeal with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, alleging Vasundhara is being interrogated under degrading conditions and denied access to legal counsel or family.
Radhika Oswal, Vasundhara’s mother, has issued a heartbreaking plea to the Ugandan government, demanding they allow contact with their daughter. “This is every mother’s nightmare,” she said. “My young daughter has been thrown into a foreign jail. She has been stripped of her basic human rights and her dignity.”
Cherie Blair has been retained as international human rights counsel to secure Vasundhara’s release. She described the situation as “incredibly traumatic” for the young woman, who is being denied vegetarian food and has been moved between prisons without notice.
The Oswal family has shared shocking details through Vasundhara’s official Instagram account, alleging she has been prevented from contacting family, forced to sit in a room full of shoes for over 90 hours, and made to use a toilet with blood and feces on the floor.
Vasundhara Oswal is a prominent young entrepreneur, recognized as one of Africa’s richest female entrepreneurs under 30. She holds a degree in Finance from Switzerland and has achieved significant success in the business world.
The family’s pleas and international pressure are mounting as they seek Vasundhara’s immediate release and the restoration of her human rights. The case highlights concerns about the rule of law and due process in Uganda.
First Piper 