LUCKNOW: A 31-year-old Lucknow resident who travelled to Belarus in search of work has allegedly found himself trapped in the Russian military, prompting his family to seek urgent intervention from the Centre amid fears that he could be deployed to the frontline within days.Ashish Singh left India on June 8 on a work visa after securing overseas employment through an agent.Four months later, his family says he made a series of distress calls claiming he had been deceived into joining the Russian Army and was undergoing military training before being sent to a combat zone.The Indian Embassy in Moscow has formally taken up the matter with the Russian Ministry of Defence and sought Ashish’s release. The family has also approached the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirtivardhan Singh who, according to relatives, has assured them of support.“My brother is terrified and desperate to return home. Every passing day increases the risk to his life,” said his sister, Sukhmani Singh, an advocate practising at the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court told TOI.According to the family’s representation to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy, Ashish travelled to Belarus on June 8 and initially worked on a farm in Dubina. After allegedly not receiving the promised salary, he shifted to a construction site and later moved to Minsk in search of better opportunities.There, he allegedly came in contact with individuals who promised employment in Russia. The family claims he was subsequently misled into signing up for military service and was transported to a Russian military training facility.The first alarm came on October 8, when Ashish contacted his family via WhatsApp and claimed he had been tricked into joining the Russian military. He allegedly told relatives that he was being trained at a camp identified as “Taifun” or “Typhoon”, had been assigned the name “Sher Khan”, and would soon be sent to the frontline.“During another call on October 21, he reportedly told family members that deployment could take place within six to seven days. He also complained of inadequate food, said he was surviving largely on bread and biscuits, and expressed concern that his diabetes was not receiving adequate medical attention,” Sukhmani told TOI.In a written communication to the family, the Indian Embassy in Moscow said it had requested Ashish’s release from the Russian Army and would provide updates once it received a response from Russian authorities.With no resolution yet, the family has urged the government to trace Ashish, prevent any frontline deployment, secure his release and ensure his safe return to India.“He is my only son and we are worried about his whereabouts and want him to return to India soon,” said Rajendra Singh, businessman and father of Ashish Singh.
