The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday recorded statements from the family members of Azad Yousuf Kumar, a Kashmiri man who was falsely tricked into joining in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The agency recorded the statements after filing a First Information Report (FIR) against 19 others and immigration consultancy organisations alleged tricking Indian youth.
Azad's elder brother, Sajad Ahmed Kumar, said that the CBI questioned him about his brother's position and demanded his attendance at the agency’s New Delhi headquarters.
However, he was unable to comply owing to his present financial situation. Sajad further added that the CBI contacted the families of 12 other affected Indian men, who voiced their desire for their loved ones' safe return.
On March 8, the CBI took down a human trafficking network transporting Indians to the combat zone and identified key facilitators, including Russian operatives.
These agents allegedly tempted Indian teenagers with lucrative job opportunities in Russia while coercing them into military service in the conflict.
Azad, a 31-year-old engineering graduate from Pulwama, first sought employment in Dubai but was misled by false promises, eventually becoming a mercenary for the Russian army.
“The YouTuber named Faisal Khan promised him a job in Dubai. However, he ended up being a mercenary for the Russian Army," the family stated, imploring the Centre to intervene and save him from a conflict he never wanted to be a part of.
"He is now near the Ukraine border. We spoke with him a few days ago, and he informed us that his life was in danger. He was forced to sign a contract in Russia, which is how he got up on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Then he was deployed to the frontline alongside other Indians," Sajad said.
"He has a two-and-a-half-month-old son whom he has not even met so far," he added.
Despite efforts by Indian officials to engage the Russian government and provide the necessary documents, no success has been achieved towards their repatriation.
Azad's family voiced concern for his safety, emphasising the risks he encounters daily in unknown terrain.
The CBI's inquiry revealed a labyrinth of deception in which people were trafficked under false pretences, forced into combat positions, and left stranded with little recourse.
The agency emphasised the grave risks faced by these young men, forcibly pushed into the conflict zone against their choice.
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