A high-stakes legal battle has erupted as Vasundhara Oswal, Executive Director of Pro Industries Pte Limited, sues the Attorney General of Uganda for Shs 4 billion, alleging an illegal raid, unlawful arrest, and prolonged detention.
In court affidavits, Oswal claims that on October 1, 2024, security operatives stormed her company’s premises in Ndibulungi Village, Luweero District, allegedly forcing entry without a warrant while investigating a missing person case.
She says Officer Bbaale Thomas informed her that authorities were searching for Mukesh Kumar Menaria at the request of his son, Vishnu Menaria, and claimed no court order was needed. Oswal also alleges that Swiss officer Pauline Chevenard had triggered a Yellow Diffusion Notice via Interpol.
Oswal accuses Bbaale, together with Agaba Alison, Obwona Joseph, Kyomuhendo Joseph, Annette Karungi, and the Attorney General, of conducting an unlawful search and seizing jewelry worth USD 150,000 (about Shs 532.7 million).
She alleges the raid quickly escalated: officers filmed her without consent, interrogated her without legal counsel, arrested her, and broadcast the incident on national television. She claims she was held beyond the constitutional 48-hour limit and denied basic necessities, including food, water, sanitation, and medical care.
In her affidavit, Oswal rejects the Swiss Interpol alert as “illogical,” noting she had just returned to London on September 30, 2024, and had no knowledge of Menaria’s whereabouts. Her father, Pankaj Oswal, was also abroad at the time.
The case, she alleges, centered on Menaria, a former chef and family employee. She says Vishnu Menaria verbally abused her during the raid and was allowed to film inside her premises despite her objections.
Oswal is seeking compensation for the allegedly seized jewelry and an additional USD 1 million (Shs 3.5 billion) for violations of her constitutional and human rights.
She further claims that Menaria had stolen her mother’s jewelry, also worth USD 150,000, which was recovered from him in August 2024. Police allegedly took these items as exhibits and have yet to return them.
In one of her most dramatic claims, Oswal alleges that while speaking to her parents by phone, Officer Bbaale forcefully grabbed her and pushed her into an unmarked vehicle.
“I was effectively being held as a state hostage to compel my father’s return,” she states, linking her detention to requests from Swiss authorities.
Court documents show the original charge against her was kidnapping with intent to murder, later amended to human trafficking in line with the Interpol notice, a move she says was designed to legitimize a baseless case. She also claims the Interpol alert was issued based on anonymous emails without proper verification.
While she was on remand, her parents reportedly reached a settlement with Menaria on October 15, 2024, releasing him from a loan obligation and allowing him to retain a USD 200,000 Saint Lucia passport. Despite this, the complaints against Oswal were never withdrawn.
The case is now set to test the limits of police authority, international cooperation, and constitutional protections setting the stage for a dramatic courtroom showdown.
