{
  "id": 18896266,
  "title": "Raipur man went to Russia for job and landed in jail. Now family writes to CM, police for help",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/raipur-man-went-to-russia-for-job-and-landed-in-jail-now-family-18896266",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-08T08:09:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express - India",
    "slug": "the-indian-express-india",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/india/raipur-man-russia-job-landed-jail-family-cm-vishnu-deo-said-letter-10955433/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In September, 38-year-old Tikeshwar Sahu from Raipur embarked on a journey to Russia in pursuit of a better life for his family. Promised a lucrative job as a delivery agent, he was assured that his tourist visa would be upgraded to a work visa upon job confirmation. However, upon arrival, Sahu found himself in a precarious situation. Days after his arrival, he informed his family that he was incarcerated, coerced to enlist in the Russian Army to combat Ukraine. His wife, Manorama, penned a letter to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Raipur Police Commissioner Sanjeev Shukla on November 4, requesting a thorough investigation, diplomatic intervention, legal aid, medical care, and his safe return to India. This situation echoes another case from Bilaspur, where 21-year-old Vineet Kumar Dubey also left for Russia in September, under similar circumstances. Both families expressed their frustration at the lack of adequate information provided about the nature of the work prior to their departure. According to a Raipur Police official, their complaint has been forwarded to the state home department, which will then transmit it to the Ministry of External Affairs for further action. The family last communicated with Sahu on September 16, after which his phone remained silent. Days later, they received a letter allegedly written by Sahu, claiming to be falsely accused of possessing illegal substances and forced to join the Russian military. Upon receiving the letter, the family attempted to contact him multiple times, during which he made a tearful five-minute video call to his family, revealing his distress and pleading for their help. Sahu, known for his store management job, was offered a high-paying position in Russia, with the promise of converting his tourist visa to a work visa once the job was secured. His family suspects he was pressured to sign documents consenting to his military service. Concerned about his health, particularly his thyroid condition requiring medication, they allege that Sahu was denied his medication and suffered an assault in detention. They have spent Rs 1.5 lakh on legal fees to secure his release. On October 22, the lawyer informed them that Sahu had been hospitalized due to a spike in his blood pressure. The family has not received a clear update on his condition or release date. They have reached out to both the Indian and Russian embassies for assistance, with the Russian embassy yet to respond. The Indian embassy assured them their case is being reviewed and an update will follow. The family has also approached the DGP headquarters in Naya Raipur and filed an application through the Prime Minister’s grievance portal, hoping for his timely return. Their primary concern now is Sahu's safe return home, with his well-being and health being their foremost worry.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}