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The Central Bureau of Investigation has recorded the statements of the family members of Azad Yousuf Kumar, a Kashmiri man who has been duped allegedly unwittingly thrust into the Russia-Ukraine conflict after being deceived.
The agency recorded their statements recently after filing an FIR (First Information Report) against 19 people and visa consulting firms linked to the exploitation of the Indian youth.
Azad’s elder brother Sajad Kumar Ahmed told an Indian media agency that the CBI questioned him about his brother’s situation and wanted his presence at the office in New Delhi. However, he was unable to comply due to financial circumstances. Sajad also said the families of 12 more men have been contracted and by the CBI and the they emphasised their desire for safe return of the loved ones.
On March 8, 2024, the CBI had dismantled a human trafficking network funnelling Indian individuals into war zone and identified key facilitators, including agents based in Russia. These agents allegedly enticed Indian youths with promising job offers in Russia only to coerce them into military involvement in the conflict.
Azad, a 31-year-old engineering graduate from Pulwama initially sought employment opportunities in Dubai, but was misled by false promises, ultimately finding himself embroiled in the war as a mercenary for the Russian Army. His family narrated his perilous situation at the Ukraine border and implored the government to intervene for his safe return.
According to the family, he left for Dubai on December 14, 2023 and search of a decent job after being lured by a Youtuber named Faisal Khan. But little did the man know that he would be fighting a war.
“He was promised a job in Dubai by a Youtuber. However, he ended up being a mercenary for the Russian Army,” the family said urging the central government to step in and rescue him from the war in which he never desired to fight.
“He is right now at the Ukrainian Border. We spoke to him a few days ago and he said that his life was in danger. He was forcibly told to sign a contract which was in Russian language and that’s how he landed at Russian frontier. Then he was sent to the frontline with other Indians,” Sajad said.
He also added that Azad manages to call the family during evening time for two to three minutes. “They are constructing bunkers in the forests now They have moved further from the Black Sea. They occupy the areas and then make the bunkers there,” he said, quoting his brother.
He said Azad was given a 15 day long military training during which he was hit by a bullet and needed to be hospitalised for two weeks. He has a two and half month-old son whom he has not met so far. Sajad said that he was told by agents that he will be given a job as a kitchen helper, but he was sent with the Russian Army to fight the war.
Despite Indian authority’s efforts to engage with the Russian government and provide requisite documentation, little progress has been made towards his return. Azad’s family expressed deep concern about his well-being and highlighting the dangers he faces in the unfamiliar territory.
The CBI’s investigation exposed a web of deceit where individuals were trafficked under false pretences manipulated into combat roles and left stranded without recourse. The agency emphasised that the grave risks faced by these individuals forcibly thrust into the conflict zone against their will.
As the Russia-Ukraine war continues to claim lives and displace millions, Azad’s story sheds light on the harrowing reality faced by many unwilling victims were caught in the crossfire of geopolitical conflicts.
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