Tejas Patel Remanded to Luzira Prison as Charge Sheet Is Amended to Include Aggravated Human Trafficking

What the report says

KAMPALA, Uganda — Businessman and insurance broker Tejas Patel has been remanded to Luzira Prison until October 22, 2026, after prosecutors revised the case against him to add a charge of aggravated human trafficking. The remand followed a court appearance at Makindye Magistrate’s Court, where Patel came with his lawyer but the matter could not proceed because the chief magistrate was unavailable.

Watchdog Uganda reported that Patel is the second suspect arrested in an alleged trafficking network said to be linked to Sanjiv Patel, also known as “Sanju.” The amended charge sheet, dated October 6 and approved through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, names Patel and co-accused Yogesh Yadav in 15 counts of aggravated trafficking in persons.

According to the charge sheet described in the report, prosecutors allege that Patel, Yadav and others still at large recruited, transported, harboured or received 15 people in Muyenga, in Kampala’s Makindye Division, between February and September 2026. The alleged conduct is said to have involved deception or payments tied to prostitution or sexual exploitation.

The case has drawn attention because of questions raised around Patel’s citizenship status and earlier bail granted to Yadav. Watchdog Uganda also noted that the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has expressed concern over the matter, underscoring the wider scrutiny surrounding alleged trafficking networks in Uganda.