Amritsar chef falls in agent's trap, lands in Russian army

Amritsar’s Sekhri family is inconsolable as they have no communication with 35-year-old Sahil, a qualified chef who was made to join the Russian army, since September.

Anita Sekhri, 60, a widow, said her son, Sahil, last spoke to her on September 20, conveying that his three-month-long training had been cut short to 15 days. Sahil feared that he would be deployed on the war front though he was promised a helper's job.

She said Sahil had confirmed that he received Rs 10 lakh against the promise of Rs 15 lakh upon joining the army. Sahil also told her that his original phone was taken away during training and he clandestinely procured an alternate mobile phone and SIM after paying four times the cost. He also gave her the mobile phone numbers of two of his roommates.

Alleging that his son became a victim of a human trafficking racket, Anita said the travel agent pocketed Rs 5 lakh and lured him to join the force at a monthly salary of Rs 2 lakh.

She said despite assurance of granting him a work visa, representatives of the travel agent did not extend any help at all after they met him at Moscow airport. He had left for Russia on July 25, leaving behind a clerk job with a transport company which offered him a paltry Rs 15,000 per month.

Anita, who suffers from diabetes, back pain and an eye ailment, said she single-handedly raised the family by stitching clothes. She took a loan to pay Rs 4.50 lakh to travel agent Anoop, who visited her house on Majitha road and took the entire payment in cash after her son confirmed over phone that he had landed in Moscow.

In 2016, Sahil went to Cyprus to study culinary art and remained there for the next five years working as a chef. He was sending nearly Rs 25,000 a month but then came Covid-19. He returned home in 2021, snapping their major family income. Unable to get more than Rs 12,000 salary as chef, he joined a private transport company and served there for the next four years.

She said the family was distressed as all marriage proposals were turned down due to his low salary. The family is living in a rented accommodation, shelling out Rs 8,000 per month.