India- Hindustan Times, October 16, 2024
Pankaj Oswal, a renowned Swiss industrialist of Indian origin, has alleged that his 26-year-old daughter, Vasundhara Oswal, has been illegally imprisoned in Uganda. In an open letter to the Ugandan President, the industrialist also claimed that his daughter is being denied basic rights and access to family or legal representation.
According to Oswal, Vasundhara, executive director of PRO Industries, has been detained without trial since October 1. Oswal claims the charges against his daughter stem from a former employee taking a loan of $200,000 from the family. His family, acting as guarantors for the loan, refused to repay it and instead filed false allegations against Vasundhara in an attempt to escape their financial obligations. This individual escaped from Uganda and was later apprehended in Tanzania with evidence of the theft. Despite this, Vasundhara has been unjustly accused, and the legal process has been manipulated against her.
Oswal has filed an urgent appeal with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, stating that Vasundhara was interrogated under degrading conditions and held for over 90 hours without access to legal counsel or family. Despite a court order for her unconditional release, the police have reportedly slapped inadmissible charges to prevent her release on bail.
