Brother ‘missing’ in warzone, Goraya man plans visit to Russia

Tired of not getting any response from the Centre, Goraya-based Jagdeep Kumar, brother of Mandeep Kumar, who reportedly went ‘missing’ in the Russia-Ukraine warzone, has decided to go to Moscow next week to know about his whereabouts.

Jagdeep last spoke with his brother in March 2023, when the latter sounded scared for his life and asked his elder brother to save him.

“I want to talk to my brother and will not come back without him,” the Goraya resident said.

Jagdeep would be accompanied by another family member of a person from Jammu & Kashmir who had also gone ‘missing’ in Russia.

“We will meet Indian Embassy officials in Moscow and ask actual status of our kin,” added Jagdeep. Recently, he met Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal and an official from the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard.

Jagdeep said he had been in constant touch with family members of eight other men who were stuck in the warzone.

“My parents aren’t doing well. I cannot tell what we are going through. Everytime I go home, they look at me with a hope that I will give them good news,” said Jagdeep, adding that Mandeep had initially gone to Armenia in search of work, where he got in touch with a travel agent, who promised to send him to Italy.

‘Duped by travel agent’

“When my brother reached Russia, he was tricked into joining the Russian army,” the Goraya resident alleged.

Adding to the distress, Jagdeep claimed that he himself was duped of Rs 6 lakh by the same agent, who had promised to send his brother from Armenia to Italy via Russia, Finland and Germany.