Punjab Man Searching For Missing Brother In Russia Claims 10 Indians 'Confirmed Dead'

Sultanpur Lodhi (Kapurthala): The Russia-Ukraine continues to cast a dark shadow across India, with more and more Indians who went to Russia in search of employment returning in body bags, coupled with allegations of them being forcefully recruited to fight in the frontlines.

In the latest instance, a youth from Goraya near Jalandhar, who went to Russia to seek information on his missing brother, has returned to report that 10 of these youths have died, although neither the government nor their families had any clue till he returned with the news. Among them are three Punjabis, while the rest are from states like Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Jagdeep Singh, who went to Russia in search of his brother Mandeep, also enquired for other Indian soldiers in the Russian Army, at offices in Moscow and elsewhere. After returning, he went straight to meet Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal at his office, and showed him Russian Army documents confirming the deaths of these youths.

Talking to ETV Bharat, Jagdeep said, "The parents of these deceased youths were all waiting for their sons to return. Only now have they learnt that these youths have died in the Russia-Ukraine war. I had gone to Russia to find my brother Mandeep. There, I too was picked up by the police, and threatened to join the Russian Army, or get thrown in jail. This is how many unsuspecting Indians are being recruited into the Russian Army. If they refuse, they are jailed and tortured mentally and physically, and finally pushed into the Russian Army anyway."

The bereaved brother continued, "The 10 Indians who were killed include Tejpal Singh from Amritsar, Arvind Kumar from Lucknow, Dhirendra Kumar, Vinod Yadav and Yogendra Yadav from Uttar Pradesh and five others. There are four Indians reported missing as well, including Deepak, Yogeshwar Prasad, Azharuddin Khan and Ramchandra."

Jagdeep said he first met Seechewal on June 29, 2024, and submitted a memorandum demanding the safe return of the Indians trapped in the Russian Army, including his brother Mandeep. Following this, Seechewal met the Foreign Minister and wrote a letter requesting the safe return of the youth trapped in the Russian Army. Jagdeep affirmed that Seechewal has been helping affected families since Day One, that due to his prompt actions, many Indian youths have returned safely so far.

Earlier, in March 2024, the first case case came to light when the family of Gurpreet from Hoshiarpur complained about him being trapped in Russia, 5 months after which he was brought back to India. Then Jagdeep raised the issue of his brother Mandeep, claiming he had been cheated in Russia.

With Mandeep having also provided information on other Indians in the same predicament, the matter was taken up with the Ministry of External Affairs, and a demand raised to bring the youth safely home. Commenting on the matter, Seechewal said, "The Ministry is taking requisite action. This is not new. Earlier, in 2024, Rakesh from Uttar Pradesh had also made similar claims after he returned from Russia."

He added, "When I had raised the question in Parliament, the Ministry of External Affairs replied that 127 Indians were recruited in the Russian Army, out of which, 89 were brought back by the Ministry, while 12 of the 13 others are still missing. Currently, the bodies of 10 deceased are in Russia, of which 3 are from Punjab and 7 from other states."

Jagdeep said when he decided to go to Russia in search of his brother, Seechewal had arranged for his tickets and given him a letter to ensure that he didn't face any problems.

"I've been to Russia twice. The first time, I stayed there for 21 days, during which time I searched for stranded Indian, especially Punjabi youth, but couldn't find much because of my poor Russian language skills. The second time, I stayed there for two months. That's when I was able to collect a lot of information, including about some small-time Russian travel agents and Russian police who are involved in the trafficking."

He described the modus operandi: "When unsuspecting Indian youth go to Russia for work, the police pick them up for petty reasons, torture them, and force them to join the Russian Army. Once they agree, they are given 6-11 days of basic training and forced to face bullets in the frontlines."

Expressing disappointment with the Indian government, Jagdeep added, "The government claims that since 2024, about 200 Indian youths have joined the Russian Army. But this is a complete lie, because the numbers are upwards of 800-900 according to my information. I've learnt that just this month, 15 Indian youths joined the Russian Army."

Saying that he stands with the bereaved families, Seechewal appealed to the Indian government to use all means necessary to ban Indian youths from joining the Russian Army. Citing a letter he has written to the External Affairs Minister, he further said, "I've appealed that the bodies of Indian youth killed in the Russian Army be returned to their families, so that they can perform the last rites as per their traditions." He also demanded strict action against Indian travel agents who are "deceiving the youth".

Also Read:

1. Gujarat Man Captured In Ukraine Pleads Modi Govt For Help, Warns Indians Travelling To Russia
2. 26 Indians Working In Russian Armed Forces Reportedly Died: Govt To RS
3. Promised A Job And Sent To Russia-Ukraine War, Bikaner Youth Returns Home In A Coffin
4. Rajasthan: After 28 Days, Body Of MBBS Student Brought From Russia To Alwar