Man 'detained' in Russia, pressured to join war, alleges family; second Chhattisgarh case

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A Raipur man who went to Russia for a job in September has been detained there in a “false” drugs case and is being pressured to join the Russian Army to fight in the war or face a long jail term, his family members alleged on Monday (November 9, 2026).

A similar case surfaced last month in Chhattisgarh, where a 21-year-old man from Bilaspur district was allegedly detained in Russia and tortured to compel him to join the war. Notably, Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in a conflict.

In the latest case, the family of the man, identified as Tikeshwar Sahu (38), son of a retired police head constable, has approached the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister's Office and other authorities, seeking intervention to secure his release and facilitate his safe return to India.

A senior police official said they were looking into the matter.

In a letter to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai earlier this month, Mr. Tikeshwar's wife, Manorama Sahu, claimed her husband was detained in Volgograd, Russia, and sought government assistance for his return.

Mr. Tikeshwar travelled to Russia on a tourist visa on September 8, 2026, and the family lost contact with him after September 16. They later learnt that Russian police had arrested him in a serious criminal case related to narcotics, she said in the letter.

"Our family has no information suggesting that he was involved in any drug-related activity. We have serious doubts about the circumstances of his arrest and the fairness of the case," she stated.

The family had received alarming information that he was allegedly being threatened with death and warned of a jail term of around 20 years. More seriously, he was reportedly being pressured to join the Russian Army and participate in the war, she alleged.

The family has appointed a private lawyer in Russia. Despite this, they remain deeply concerned about his safety and legal rights, the letter said.

A senior police official in Raipur told PTI that the woman's representation has been received and police authorities and the State Home Department have been informed for further necessary action.

Mr. Tikeshwar had earlier worked in sales and marketing with a company in Raipur, Ms. Manorama's sister Nidhi Sahu told PTI over the phone.

"He had informed the family that he received a job offer in Russia, and the employer assured him that all arrangements for his travel would be made. He travelled on a tourist visa as the employer had promised to convert it into a work visa later," she claimed.

Mr. Tikeshwar reached Volgograd on September 10 and regularly spoke to his family over video calls. However, he stopped contacting them after September 16. On September 22, he suddenly made a video call and, while crying, told the family that he had been implicated in a false drug trafficking case. The call lasted less than five minutes, she said.

The family subsequently sought help through relatives in Chhattisgarh and acquaintances in Russia. A relative who had earlier gone there to pursue medical studies helped them get in touch with people who arranged a lawyer for Mr. Tikeshwar, she said.

Initially, the woman lawyer was also not allowed to meet him. She finally met him on October 22 or 23, following which the family learnt that his health had deteriorated. He suffers from thyroid, hypertension, gastric, and other health problems, Nidhi Sahu said.

According to the family, Mr. Tikeshwar told the lawyer that Russian police were threatening him with a jail term of 15 to 20 years and pressuring him to join the Russian Army.

They also learnt that several foreign nationals, including some medical students, had allegedly been detained in Volgograd on similar narcotics-related charges and were being pressured to join the Russian Army, Ms. Nidhi said.

"We have written to the Indian Embassy but initially received no response. Four to five days ago, we received an email from the embassy stating that my brother-in-law had been detained, something we already knew. We have paid around ₹1.50 lakh to the lawyer assisting him," she said.

Ms. Nidhi said her sister and Mr. Tikeshwar have two daughters, aged 14 and 4, and the family has not informed his father about his "detention".

She urged the Centre and the State government to coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Russia to ensure his safety and facilitate his early return to India.

In a similar case, a 17-year-old girl from Bilaspur last month approached the authorities seeking help to bring her elder brother, Vinit Kumar Dubey (21), back from Russia, alleging that he had been detained and tortured there to force him to join the war.

The girl had submitted a representation to the administration seeking government intervention for the return of her brother, who travelled to Russia earlier in October.