An Indian who was duped into joining Russia’s war against Ukraine has been killed. In a post on X on Wednesday, the Indian Embassy in Russia confirmed the death of Mohammed Asfan from Hyderabad, but has not stated the cause or mentioned what he was doing in the country.
“We have learnt about the tragic death of an Indian national Shri Mohammed Asfan. We are in touch with the family and Russian authorities. Mission will make efforts to send his mortal remains to India,” the embassy said in the post.
We have learnt about the tragic death of an Indian national Shri Mohammed Asfan. We are in touch with the family and Russian authorities. Mission will make efforts to send his mortal remains to India.@MEAIndia
— India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) March 6, 2024
The family of Afsan, who is among nearly two dozen Indians who were taken to Russia on the pretext of being given high-paying jobs, said they were informed about his death by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
Mr Owaisi was among the first to highlight the issue last month. On February 21, the AIMIM leader had said he had written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about men from states like Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh who were cheated in this manner and were forced to take part in the war.
On February 29, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that at least 20 Indians trapped in Russia had contacted Indian authorities and that the government was doing its best to bring them back.
Most of the men who were trapped in Russia had been cheated by a Dubai-based agent, Faisal Khan, who runs a YouTube channel ‘Baba Vlogs’.
Source Agencies
