'Thrown Into Van by Male Officer': Vasundhara Oswal Opens Up About Her Detention in Uganda | WATCH

New Delhi: Vasundhara Oswal, daughter of Indian-origin billionaire Pankaj Oswal, has spoken out about her harrowing ordeal in Uganda, where she was detained and charged with kidnapping and attempting to murder Mukesh Menaria, an employee of her father. Menaria was later found alive, but Oswal claims she endured severe human rights violations throughout her detention.    

Recalling the events, Oswal, while speaking to news agency PTI stated that she was detained for five days before being imprisoned for another two weeks. She alleged that Ugandan authorities raided her location without a search warrant. When she questioned them, they reportedly dismissed her concerns, saying, "We are in Uganda. We can do anything. You're not in Europe anymore."

Oswal further claimed that she was forcibly taken to Interpol under the pretext of meeting their director. She recounted being physically thrown into a van by a male officer who insisted she had no choice but to comply.

At Interpol, Oswal alleged that she was forced to give a statement without legal representation. The only lawyer available was a civil lawyer, as she was not given time to arrange for a criminal defense attorney. Authorities allegedly threatened her with indefinite detention if she refused to cooperate.

Following her statement, she was placed in a cell. When her legal team requested a police bond, she was asked to provide $30,000 and surrender her passport—both of which were submitted. However, despite complying with the demands, she was denied bail and kept in detention.

Even after obtaining an unconditional release order from the courts, Oswal claimed she was not released and was instead held for an additional 72 hours. It was only after five days of detention that she was formally informed of her charges—kidnap with an attempt to murder.

She was taken to a lower-level magistrate court, despite the severity of the charges requiring a high court trial. Oswal was then placed in Luero prison for two days, alongside individuals convicted of petty crimes. She was subsequently transferred to Nakan Songala prison, where she spent two weeks among convicted murderers, human traffickers, and hardened criminals.

Oswal asserted that even after Menaria was found alive on October 10—nearly two weeks before her release—authorities continued to hold her in prison. She alleged that her business rivals paid off multiple lawyers to sabotage her case, either preventing her bail application from being processed or ensuring she was unable to attend court hearings.

Despite these alleged obstacles, Oswal was finally granted bail on October 21. Speaking about her ordeal, she expressed gratitude for her release, stating, "With God's grace, I finally secured bail."

About Vasundhara Oswal and Charges Against Her

Vasundhara Oswal, the 26-year-old daughter of Indian-origin Swiss billionaire Pankaj Oswal, was arrested in Uganda on October 1, 2023. She had faced serious charges of kidnapping and attempting to kill Mukesh Menaria, a former employee who had worked on her family’s private jet and provided domestic assistance at their residences globally.

Vasundhara’s father, Pankaj Oswal, is the son of industrialist Abhay Kumar Oswal, founder of Oswal Agro Mills and Oswal Greentech.

The Oswal family had claimed that the allegations against Vasundhara stem from a former employee who took out a $200,000 loan from them. They asserted that the accusations of kidnapping and murder were fabricated as a means to avoid repaying the loan.

Mukesh Menaria, the man Vasundhara wass accused of murdering, was reportedly found alive in Tanzania, leading to questions about the validity of the charges against her.