Vasundhara Oswal, the daughter of Indian-origin Swiss billionaire Pankaj Oswal has been imprisoned in Uganda for more than three weeks. The 26-year-old is accused of kidnapping and killing Mukesh Menaria, a domestic helper in her family’s residences around the world as well as on their private jet. Maneria is from Rajasthan and has worked for Oswal family since 2017. However, the relationship between Menaria and the Oswal family soured earlier this year.
Vasundhra Oswal has been working at her family’s factory in Uganda, East Africa, for the last three years. On 1st October, she was “seized by around 20 armed men” from an extra-neutral alcohol facility that the family had established in the country. Vasundhra was apprehended when she was touring the factory, which is a component of the $100 ($150 per some reports) million Oswal Group commitment to build the first grain-based Extra-Neutral Alcohol (ENA) production plant in East Africa.
Armed men took her away while posing as interrogators from law enforcement. She has been arrested by Ugandan police on a number of allegations, including criminal and commercial offences. Her family has charged that she was “illegally” held, blaming “corporate and political manipulation,” but officials claimed that her arrest was the result of an investigation into a missing individual. Authorities reportedly snatched her phone and prohibited her from communicating with her lawyers and family.
In an appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), Pankaj Oswal has called for immediate action in relation to what he claims is his daughter’s unlawful detention. Her family insisted that she was arrested without formal charges because the men did not produce a warrant or identity. Rita Ngabire, the company’s attorney, was also taken into custody.
Mukesh is alive and well: Oswal family
According to the billionaire Oswal family, the ‘bogus’ accusations against Vasundhara are the work of a disgruntled employee who has since acknowledged the truth and is still alive and well in Tanzania. He was nabbed in the largest city in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, and he has since signed an affidavit stating that his employers never abused or abducted him.
“He has openly admitted that his stay in Uganda was entirely voluntary, and he left the country of his own accord before being apprehended in Tanzania. This further disproves the baseless accusations made against Vasundhara,” highlighted Riddhi Oswal, younger daughter of Pankaj Oswal.
She added, “While Menaria is currently under investigation in Tanzania for his own actions, he has still provided support by his former employers by submitting an affidavit, which has been duly notarized by the Commissioner of Oaths.”
According to the affidavit, there were “misunderstandings and disputes” between Mukesh Menaria and the Oswal family. Menaria declared in his signed affidavit that the disagreements led him to act in ways that would be deemed “dishonesty, breach of confidentiality and/or misappropriation of trade secrets” against his employers.
As per the two parties’ agreement, Menaria chose to remain in Uganda on his own accord. His son, however, was infuriated and reported the family to the Ugandan police for harassment.
Pankaj Oswal writes to the Ugandan President and further allegations
In a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Pankaj Oswal stated that his daughter’s imprisonment was due to unfounded charges brought by a former Oswal family employee who took out a $200,000 loan using the Oswals as guarantors and stole important valuables. Oswal emphasised that Vasundhara was arrested as a result of this person’s frivolous allegations which were made in an effort to evade the payment.
Menaria was apprehended at the Shaka police station close to the Ugandan border after reportedly being abducted in Uganda and brought into Tanzania. His family contacted a local media outlet to confirm the arrest. The development followed Pankaj Oswal’s open letter accusing extortionists of blackmailing him, which resulted in the arrest of his daughter Vasundhara and attorney Rita Ngabire. Ngabire and Vasundhara were both formally remanded to Nakasongola prison on 9th October on suspicion of kidnapping Menaria with the intent to kill.
Ridhi pointed out, “As we now know, this ordeal began when armed corrupt officials took her away in a car under the pretense of questioning, after already conducting an unwarranted raid at the plant, where they found nothing.” She added, “We even filed for contempt of court after yet another day, but instead of releasing her, they took her to a lower court and charged her with inadmissible crimes like kidnapping and murder, immediately sending her to prison.”
According to the Oswal family, dishonest Ugandan officials colluded with their rival companies. “It has been absolutely shocking to see how much power these corrupt officials have and how they are clearly working in collaboration with business competitors who are determined to destroy our family and my sister at any cost,” Ridhi said.
She also conveyed, “My parents’ hands are tied because they can’t even go to Uganda without facing immediate arrest by the highly corrupt officials there. As we’ve come to learn, the police in Uganda have too much power and can arrest people on a whim, even without warrants or proper court procedures. If my parents are arrested, they won’t be able to fight for my sister, who has essentially been cut off from everything and is already being treated like a convicted criminal.”
Vasundhara’s sister further informed, “My parents have essentially locked themselves in a secret location, devoting all their time to fighting for my sister’s release. They barely eat more than one meal a day and are surviving on the hope and faith that they can get their daughter free.”
It has been reported that Vasundhara has experienced severe and hazardous conditions while incarcerated. She has underlying medical problems but has been compelled to live in filthy conditions with no access to clean water or adequate facilities. According to her family, she has been abruptly transferred between jails, making it difficult for them to get in touch with her or offer legal assistance. She has also had to share a small room with several convicted criminals and has been refused vegetarian food.
Citing allegations of business and political influence by the family, Ugandan authorities have added charges against Vasundhara in order to keep her from obtaining bail, even though a court judgment has ordered her unconditional release.
The Oswal Family
The Oswal family, led by businessman Pankaj Oswal, is well-known throughout Africa for both their opulent lifestyle and their petrochemical companies. Abhay Kumar Oswal founded Oswal Agro Mills, and Pankaj, his son, grew the family business into a number of industries, including mining, petrochemicals, real estate, and fertilizers. The Oswal family recently made headlines when they paid $200 million (about Rs 1649 crore) for their Villa Vari, a 4.3 lakh square foot home in Switzerland, solidifying their place among the wealthiest families in the world.
The executive director of the group’s subsidiary PRO Industries, Vasundhara Oswal, is instrumental in advancing sustainability measures at both Axis Minerals and PRO Industries. She established PRO Industries in her second year of graduation. She received many accolades including the 2023 Global Youth Icon Award and the Economic Times’ Woman of the Year title. Ridhi Oswal, her younger sister, is a singer-songwriter.
