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.
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