Kasganj (Uttar Pradesh)/Kalaburagi (Karnataka): At-least four Indians, including three from Karnataka, were cheated by agents and "recruited" in the Russian Army.
Their kin have urged the Narendra Modi-led government to bring back the youth to India, who are in trouble. A youth from Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh Arbab Hussain reached Russia to take a job as a helper through an agent. But his father claimed that his son told him on the phone two and a half months ago that he was recruited in the Russian Army without being given a job as a helper.
His father has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back his son to India. Ashraf Hussain, a resident of Ganjdundwara town of the Kasganj district, said his son Arbab had gone to Moscow for a helper job through a private agency on November 11, 2023.
According to Ashraf, when his son protested, his passport and visa were taken away and he was asked to sign on any paper in Russian. Ashraf also claimed his son took part in the Russia-Ukraine War.
"I took a loan of Rs three lakh from a bank to send my son to Russia. My son gave Rs 3.80 lakh to the agency. My son was promised a helper's job and decent amount of money, but he was made a Russian soldier," Ashraf added.
Ashraf has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring his son back to India. Meanwhile, three youths from Kalaburagi in Karnataka, who had gone to work as security guards in Russia, were assigned to the Army there and they are in trouble, the parents of the youths said.
Syed Ilyas Hussaini, Mohammad Samir Ahmed, and Sophia Mohammad of Narona village in Aland Taluk of Kalaburagi district are trapped in Russia. The youth in a video, which they sent from Russian, have stated, "An agent named Baba from Mumbai sent us here and later made us join the Army".
Syed Ilyas Hussain's father, Head Constable Nawaz Kalagi, met Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge and explained the incident and requested the Karnataka government to protect the children.
"Some of the boys, including my son, used to work in Dubai earlier. They returned to the town after two years. After coming here, they somehow got in touch with a Mumbai-based agent who was doing YouTube vlogs. He told the boys that there is a security guard job. Accordingly, many people, including my son, had prepared visas and passports and left for Moscow, Russia via Chennai," Nawaz claimed.
"They also called to say that they had reached the place after five-six days. However, after 15 days, they called us again and told us that they were taking them to the border of Ukraine. There was doubt. Our children are now in trouble at the Ukraine border due to their deception," added Nawaz.
"I have met and requested Priyank Kharge, MP Umesh Jadhav, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, District Collector to bring them safely to India. All have cooperated. The Centre should help our children to return safely." Nawaz appealed.
Mahmada Pasha, the brother of another youth in trouble, alleged, "They put them in military uniforms and made them stand at the border of Ukraine." "Their life is in danger and efforts should be made to bring them to India as soon as possible," Pasha added.
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi claimed "like the three youths from Kalaburagi, many others from India are stuck in Russia and everyone should be rescued".
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has written to the External Affairs Ministry for the rescue of three young men from the state, amid reports that they were being forced to fight in Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine, Minister Priyank Kharge said on Thursday. He urged the Central government to take this matter seriously and come to their rescue immediately.
"After it came to our notice that they have been recruited into the Wagner Group (a private military allegedly funded by the Russian government) for war with Ukraine, our Deputy Commissioner (Kalaburagi) as per protocol has written a letter to the Central government's External Affairs Ministry representative in Bengaluru," Kharge, who is Kalaburagi district in-charge Minister said.
Speaking to reporters, Priyank said that he has also spoken to Mallikarjun Kharge last night and requested him to bring it to the notice of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and he has assured that he will speak to the Minister and will also write a letter to him.
"There is information that it (such job fraud) has happened in several places -- Telangana, Karnataka, also several places in north India. Whatever it is, taking someone to war by cheating or through fraudulent means (is wrong). The Centre has to take this seriously and should come to their rescue immediately," he added. Mallikarjun Kharge has been an MP from Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) in the past. (With PTI inputs)
