Raipur man jailed in Russia on drug charge, pushed to join army: Family

A Raipur family has sought government help for a man detained in Russia. The case raises concerns over alleged coercion into military service and legal safeguards.The family learnt that Russian police had arrested Tikeshwar in a serious narcotics-related case. (File photo)Raipur,Nov 9, 2026 16:44 ISTA 38-year-old Indian man who travelled to Russia for a job in September has been detained in an alleged drugs case and is being pressured to join the Russian Army to fight in the war or face a long prison term, his family alleged on Monday, according to PTI.The family of Tikeshwar Sahu, a Raipur resident and son of a retired police head constable, has approached the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister's Office and other authorities, seeking help to secure his release and safe return to India. A senior police official said the matter was being examined.In a letter sent to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai earlier this month, Tikeshwar's wife, Manorama Sahu, said her husband had been detained in Volgograd, Russia, and sought government assistance to bring him home.Tikeshwar travelled to Russia on a tourist visa on September 8, 2026, and his family lost contact with him after September 16. The family later learnt that Russian police had arrested him in a serious narcotics-related case, Manorama 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 said.Manorama alleged that the family had received alarming information that Tikeshwar was being threatened with death and warned that he could face about 20 years in prison. She said he was also reportedly being pressured to join the Russian Army and take part in the war. The family has appointed a private lawyer in Russia but remains deeply concerned about his safety and legal rights, the letter said.A senior Raipur police official told PTI that Manorama's representation had been received and that the police authorities and the state Home Department had been informed for further action.Tikeshwar had earlier worked in sales and marketing at a company in Raipur, 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 alleged.Tikeshwar reached Volgograd on September 10 and regularly spoke to his family through video calls. However, he stopped contacting them after September 16. On September 22, he 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, Nidhi said.The family then sought help from relatives in India and acquaintances in Russia. A relative who had earlier travelled to Russia for medical studies helped the family contact people who arranged a lawyer for Tikeshwar, she said.The lawyer was initially not allowed to meet him. She was able to meet him on October 22 or 23, after which the family learnt that his health had deteriorated. Tikeshwar has thyroid, hypertension, gastric and other health problems, Nidhi said.According to the family, Tikeshwar told the lawyer that Russian police were threatening him with a prison term of 15 to 20 years and pressuring him to join the Russian Army.The family 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, 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 Rs 1.50 lakh to the lawyer assisting him,” she said.Nidhi said her sister and Tikeshwar have two daughters, aged 14 and four. The family has not informed Tikeshwar's father about his detention.She urged the Centre and the Chhattisgarh government to coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Russia to ensure Tikeshwar's safety and facilitate his early return to India.A similar case was reported in Chhattisgarh last month. A 17-year-old girl from Bilaspur approached the authorities for help to bring back her elder brother, Vinit Kumar Dubey, 21, alleging that he had been detained and tortured in Russia to force him to join the war. Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a conflict.The girl submitted a representation to the administration seeking government intervention for the return of her brother, who had travelled to Russia earlier in October.Tikeshwar's family has sought government intervention after alleging that he was falsely implicated in a narcotics case, threatened with a lengthy prison term and pressured to join the Russian Army. The authorities have received the family's representation and are examining the matter.- Ends