The tale of Pankaj Oswal, Indian-origin industrialist who moved UN after daughter's illegal arrest in Uganda

Pankaj Oswal, the Indian-origin billionaire businessman, has filed an urgent appeal with the United Nations, seeking international intervention to secure the release of his daughter Vasundhara, who he claims is illegally detained in Uganda.

According to Oswal, his 26-year-old daughter has been denied basic rights, and access to family or legal representation. She has been imprisoned without trial in the East African country since October 1, reports Brussels-based news website, EU Reporter.

Additionally, the industrialist also wrote to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, appealing for his direct intervention in the case.

Who is businessman Pankaj Oswal, and why was his daughter detained in Uganda? Here’s a closer look.

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All about Pankaj Oswal

1. Pankaj Oswal is the son of industrialist late business tycoon Abhey Kumar Oswal, who founded Oswal Agro Mills and Oswal Greentech.

2. Oswal was raised in India and completed his studies at the Manipal Institute of Technology before joining his father’s enterprises, gradually expanding their reach.

3. According to DNA, the Oswal heads ‘Oswal Group Global’, a multibillion-dollar global conglomerate that has holdings in petrochemicals, real estate, fertilisers and mining.

4. This conglomerate’s PRO Industries Pvt Ltd, which Oswal’s daughter Vasundhara is executive director of, owns the largest ethanol plant in East Africa. The group also owns Axis Minerals, involved in bauxite mining in West Africa, and Burrup Fertilisers in Australia, known for producing the most liquid ammonia globally.

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5. In 2009, Oswal was honoured with the Ernst & Young Best Young Entrepreneur Award. He was also a winner of the 40 under 40 Outstanding Businessperson Awards.

5. According to Indian Express, Oswal also has a golden passport from Cyprus, granted by the government to financially prominent individuals, to bring in foreign direct investments into the country. The billionaire was also granted Cypriot citizenship in 2018.

6.  Besides business ventures, Oswal bought one of the world’s most expensive houses in Switzerland last year. Named ‘Villa Vari,’ the abode has a jaw-dropping price tag of $200 million, equivalent to around Rs 1,649 crore.

7. The Oswal family includes his wife, Radhika, and two daughters Vasundhara and Ridi. The billionaire family has lived in Switzerland for the past 10 years after they shifted from Australia.

Vasundhara Oswal’s arrest

According to Pankaj Oswal,  the charges against his daughter Vasundhara stem from a former employee, who he said, stole valuables and took a loan of $200,000 (RS 1.68 crore) with Oswal’s family as guarantors.

When the Oswals declined to cover the loan, the employee allegedly retaliated by filing false allegations against Vasundhara to avoid their financial obligations.

This individual soon escaped from Uganda and was later apprehended in Tanzania reportedly with evidence of the theft. Despite the employee being arrested, Vasundhara has been unjustly accused of kidnapping and attempted murder, according to her father.

“Vasundhara was detained on October 1st, interrogated under degrading conditions, and held for over 90 hours without access to legal counsel, family, or basic rights,” the family said in a statement.

Her family took control of her official Instagram account to share updates on her distressing experience, revealing that she was forced to stay in a room filled with shoes for over 90 hours and use unsanitary toilets during her detention.

The statement further said, “She was paraded as a suspect, stripped of her dignity, and isolated in prison despite her medical condition. Despite a court order for her unconditional release the police did not let her go, instead they slapped inadmissible charges on a Friday evening in a lower court so that she could not even get bail.”

A Brussels-based news publication EU Reporter quoting Oswal said Vasundhara has been detained without trial due to “corporate and political manipulation”, aiming to exploit her high-profile position in the business.

According to the company’s website, Vasundhara’s role as an executive director at PRO Industries involves overseeing expansion projects, debt reduction, and launching new sustainability initiatives. Her work focuses on investment management, finance, and government liaison.

The 26-year-old has a background in finance and holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Switzerland.

Appeal in the UN

Pankaj Oswal has submitted an urgent appeal to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), highlighting Vasundhara’s illegal detention and the degrading interrogation conditions.

The WGAD is a UN body comprised of international human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council. It focuses on investigating abuses of police power, to shine a light on abuse, and to intervene with the governments responsible.

In an interview with EU Reporter, Vasundhara’s mother, Radhika Oswal, expressed her distress, saying, “This is every mother’s nightmare. My young daughter has been thrown into a foreign jail…Vasundhara is an innocent bystander. All I want is her safety, and for her to be back in my arms.”

To further support his daughter’s release, Oswal has appealed directly to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and enlisted renowned human rights lawyer Cherie Blair CBE, KC, whose office has asserted that Vasundhara’s treatment breaches both domestic and international laws.

With input from agencies