Thu Oct 17 13:51:11 UTC 2024: ## Ugandan Authorities Detain Indian Industrialist’s Daughter for 90 Hours in “Suspect Parade”
**Kampala, Uganda:** Vasundhara Oswal, daughter of Swiss-Indian industrialist Pankaj Oswal, has been released after being unlawfully detained in Uganda for over 90 hours. The 26-year-old was apprehended on October 1st by armed men without identification or a warrant at the family’s extra-neutral alcohol (ENA) plant in Luwero.
Vasundhara alleges she was denied contact with her family and legal representatives, had her phone confiscated, and was subjected to appalling conditions, including being forced to sit among shoes and deprived of basic necessities like food and clean water. She described enduring a lack of sleep on a small bench, suffering from anxiety attacks, and being subjected to a “suspect parade.”
Local officials initially linked Vasundhara’s detention to a missing persons investigation, a claim her family vehemently denies. Her brother alleges the detention stems from corporate jealousy from a 68-year-old rival who feels threatened by her rapid success in establishing a $110 million ENA plant. He accuses this rival of attempting to tarnish her reputation and extort money from the Oswal family.
Despite a court order for her release, Vasundhara was taken to court and charged with serious offenses, including kidnapping. Her family has filed an urgent appeal with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), highlighting the misuse of police power and the need for intervention.
Vasundhara’s mother, Radhika Oswal, has also appealed to the Ugandan government for her daughter’s safety and decried the violation of her basic human rights and dignity. “My young daughter has been thrown into a foreign jail. She is an innocent bystander,” Radhika stated.
This incident has sparked international outrage and raises concerns about the rule of law and human rights in Uganda.
First Piper 