Businessman and insurance broker Tejas Patel, 50, has been remanded to Luzira Prison until 22 October 2026 after prosecutors amended the charges against him and his co-accused, Yogesh Yadav, to include 15 counts of aggravated human trafficking.
Patel appeared before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court with his lawyer but was returned to prison after the chief magistrate was unable to hear the case. He is expected to return to court on 22 October at 11:00 am.
Patel was arrested on 4 October 2026 and is the second suspect detained in connection with an alleged human trafficking operation reportedly linked to his cousin.
According to an amended charge sheet dated 6 October and approved by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions through the Resident Chief State Attorney at Makindye, Patel and Yadav are jointly accused of trafficking 15 people in Muyenga, Kampala, between February and September 2026.
Prosecutors allege that the two, together with other suspects who are still at large, recruited, transported, harboured or received the 15 individuals through deception or by giving or receiving payments to obtain the consent of people who had control over them.
The alleged purpose was prostitution or sexual exploitation. Each of the 15 counts relates to a different individual.
The charge sheet identifies Patel as a Ugandan citizen by registration of Indian origin who works as an insurance broker and lives in Bukoto, Kampala.
Yadav, 25, is described as an Indian national who works as a manager at Green Lounge in Kisugu, Makindye Division.
He was reportedly arrested on 20 September 2026 but was later granted bail.
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has raised concerns about the case, including Yadav’s release on bail and questions surrounding Patel’s citizenship and registration.
Meanwhile, sources at the Criminal Investigations Directorate in Kibuli indicated that investigators were examining allegations that young women had been brought into Uganda from Nepal to work in a brothel in Muyenga.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
Under Uganda’s anti-trafficking law, human trafficking does not necessarily require victims to be taken across international borders. It can also involve recruiting, transporting, harbouring or receiving people for exploitation within the country.
The law provides for aggravated trafficking in circumstances that include offences committed by a syndicate or on a large scale.
Patel and Yadav remain accused as investigations into the alleged operation continue.
