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Vasundhara Oswal, the 26-year-old daughter of Swiss-Indian billionaire Pankaj Oswal, finds herself embroiled in a legal drama in Uganda. Accused of kidnapping and murdering Mukesh Menaria, a former employee of the Oswal family, Vasundhara has been detained in the East African country for over 25 days. Her family contends that her detention is illegal, stemming from fabricated accusations and political manipulation, calling for international intervention for her release.
The allegations against Vasundhara revolve around Mukesh Menaria, who served as cabin crew for the Oswal family's private jet and held domestic roles at their residences worldwide. Pankaj Oswal, in a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, alleges that Menaria's accusations are a result of his desire to avoid repaying a $200,000 loan he took with the Oswal family as guarantors. Menaria, who had allegedly stolen valuable assets from the family, is accused of fabricating the charges against Vasundhara to avoid repayment.
The Oswal family maintains that Menaria is alive and residing in Tanzania, challenging the charges against Vasundhara. Reports suggest that Menaria's relationship with the Oswal family soured in 2023, leading to the legal dispute. Menaria was allegedly kidnapped in Uganda and subsequently smuggled into Tanzania, where he was arrested at Shaka police station near the Ugandan border. This incident triggered an open letter from Pankaj Oswal accusing extortionists of blackmailing him, resulting in the arrests of his daughter Vasundhara and her lawyer Rita Ngabire.
Vasundhara, the heiress of PRO Industries, has reportedly endured harsh conditions in prison. Her family claims she has been subjected to unsanitary environments, limited access to hygienic water, and forced to work in cleaning duties. They also allege that she has been denied vegetarian food, moved between prisons without notification, and kept in a room full of shoes for over 90 hours without access to bathing or clothing changes. However, Ugandan prison authorities refute these claims, requesting evidence of payments made by the Oswal family to improve Vasundhara's conditions and stating that her cleaning duties did not violate her rights.
In a recent development, Pankaj and Radhika Oswal have gone into hiding, seeking refuge in a 'secret location'. Pankaj expresses immense guilt over sending Vasundhara to Uganda, where she has been imprisoned for over three weeks. This event has sparked widespread media attention, highlighting the complexities of the case and the impact it has had on the Oswal family.