Minister writes to MEA, seeks help in finding youths missing in Russia

Following written submission made by the father of 25-year-old Samarjit Singh, who went to Russia to study and went missing and whose family is unable to contact him for the past 15 days, the Deputy Commissioner on Friday wrote a letter to the NRI Affairs Minister, Punjab, to look into the matter. Following which the NRI Affairs Minister, Sanjeev Arora, has written a letter to the Indian Ambassador in Moscow and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), GoI, to help in finding out the missing youth and also other youngsters from the country and their safe repatriation.

In his letter, Arora stated: ”I am writing to you to express grave concern regarding recent reports of Indian citizens, including several from Punjab, being recruited in the Russian armed forces under distressing circumstances. As highlighted in recent media reports, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has cautioned Indian nationals against accepting such offers and has urged the Russian authorities to halt this recruitment (available documents and videos are attached herewith). It has come to our attention that a significant number of Indian citizens, including those from Punjab, have been lured into joining the Russian military, often under false pretence or through deceptive job offers. Tragically, as reported, 12 Indian nationals have lost their lives and 16 others remain missing while serving in the Russian armed forces. This situation is alarming, and we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens. We urge the embassy to treat this as a matter of utmost priority and to keep us informed of any developments regarding the well-being and repatriation of our citizens”.

Samarjit Singh had left for Russia in July to pursue his career in medicine. Everything was going well but the family lost contact with the boy for the past 15 days and later, a video clip on social media went viral in which Samarjit along with other youths were seen saying that they were trapped and were being ill-treated in the Russian army.

Charanjit Singh, the father of the youth, residing in the Daba area, here, is also approaching political leaders and the Central Government to help find his missing son.