‘No contact since July’: 3 UP men forced into Russian Army, claim families

Shakti Pundir (left), Ashu Kumar (in middle), and Himanshu (right) were in Russia on a student visa, their families said.

Three youths from western Uttar Pradesh who went to Russia on study visas last year have been untraceable since July when they last had telephonic contact with their families.

In their last phone calls, the youths had informed that the Russian authorities had confiscated their passports and forcibly sent them to join their army, the families claimed.

Two of the youths, Himanshu Sharma (24) and Shakti Punder (23), are from Muzaffarnagar, while the third, Ashu Kumar (25), belongs to the neighbouring Shamli district.

The families claimed to have approached the district administrations as well as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), requesting their intervention to help bring their wards back.

The families said the three were staying together in Moscow even as they travelled to Russia at different times.

The two Muzaffarnagar youths were due to return in August this year, as their one-year visa had expired, it is learnt.

The families said during their last telephonic conversation in July the youths said that officials from the Moscow administration had seized their passports before taking them away to join the army.

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“Since that last call, I tried calling Himanshu’s number hundreds of times, but got no response. I have no idea what circumstances he is in right now,” said Himanshu’s uncle Pravesh Kumar, a farmer from Muzaffarnagar’s Baadh village.

He said Himanshu was keen on learning the Russian language and once all the formalities were completed, he left his bachelor of computer application (BCA) course midway and went to Moscow on a year-long study visa.

Himanshu’s father, Mukesh Sharma, died in 2009, and he had been living with his mother, Suman Devi, his two siblings, along with his uncle’s family.

“After going there, Himanshu used to call regularly, asking about the family’s well-being. He called on July 30, saying the Russian authorities had seized their passports and taken them away to join the Army. He promised to call again, but did not,” Pravesh Kumar added.

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Like Himanshu’s family, the family of Shakti Pundeer, who lives about 10 kilometres away, is also anxiously waiting to learn what condition he is in.

“Shakti used to call regularly and tell us about his daily routine. He told us he was sharing a room with Himanshu in Moscow. Then suddenly, he called and said that authorities in Russia had taken them for arms training and seized his passport. He said he had no interest in joining the army but was being pressured into it,” said Shakti’s father, Vipin Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarnagar’s Peeplshah village.

Shakti is the youngest of the four children of Vipin Kumar, a farmer.

“All three were sent by a Shamli-based agent who took Rs 3.5 lakh from each to send them abroad. Since the last call, I have been struggling to get any information about my son. I have written letters to the district magistrate as well as the chief minister, besides the Ministry of External Affairs, seeking help, but I haven’t received any information from them so far,” said Vipin Kumar.

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The third youth, Ashu Kumar, left in April this year and was staying with Shakti and Himanshu. He had gone to Moscow after completing his intermediate studies.

“Our family is fearing for his life. The last call in July lasted just two minutes, in which he said his passport had been seized. I don’t want my son fighting for another country. He is being forced by the Russians to join their army. If I wanted him to join any military, I would certainly want him in the Indian Army,” said Ashu’s father, Rakesh Kumar, a farmer and resident of a Shamli village.

Ashu is the second of Rakesh Kumar’s three children.

“We have sent letters to the authorities and are hoping the Indian government will help bring our children home. The agent who sent the three children to Moscow lives a short distance from my house — I went to him twice, asking him to look into it, but he showed no interest, so I stopped contacting him. My main concern is that my son returns home safely,” Rakesh said.

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When contacted, Muzaffarnagar Naib Tehsildar Amit Kumar said a letter has been sent to the Union Home Ministry regarding the two youths whose families had filed applications stating they were being held in Moscow.

Shamli Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sachin Rajput said he would need to check the documents to look into the matter.