Vasundhara Oswal, 26 years old, the daughter of Indian-origin tycoon Pankaj Oswal, once enjoyed a life of luxury in the picturesque hills of Switzerland was locked away in a Ugandan jail, charged with committing a crime that never happened.

Her nightmare started when Ugandan authorities detained her on October 1, 2024, for kidnapping and killing a former employee of her father. Several months later, the alleged victim was found alive in Tanzania, attesting to the unfounded nature of the charges against her.

Inhuman treatment in prison

While she was in jail, Vasundhara says she was subjected to harsh mistreatment. She was reportedly deprived of fundamental items such as food, water, and access to bathroom facilities.

“I was detained for five days and then put in jail for two weeks. My human rights were badly ignored. I was given neither food nor water,” Vasundhara told PTI.

Her parents, reportedly, had to bribe police officials via legal representatives merely to give her food and basic items. She also remembered being denied access to the bathroom as punishment.

A forceful arrest without a warrant

As per Vasundhara, Ugandan police illegally raided her house. When she insisted on a warrant, she got a chilling response: “This is Uganda, we can do anything here; you are not in Europe.”

She was told that they would take her to Interpol headquarters, but when she protested, she reported that a man officer dragged her into a van.

Even after she was released on bail on October 21, she was kept in detention for another 72 hours. The government required a $30,000 deposit and her passport as bail. Even after meeting all the requirements, she was not released immediately.

The case against Vasundhara was formally dropped on December 19, 2024. But she is still firm that the Ugandan government has to own up to its actions.

“We had invested in business there, but because of their system, I had to suffer so much. It is now their responsibility to improve their system,” she said.

Today, she is considering taking her case to court to obtain justice for the pain she went through while in her wrongful detention.

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