Indian National Detained in Russia Amid Forced Enlistment Claims
Manorama Sahu petitioned the Chhattisgarh government for help after Russian authorities detained her husband on narcotics charges and allegedly pressured him to join the army.
Russian police detained Tikeshwar Sahu, a resident of Raipur, India, in Volgograd in September 2026 on narcotics charges. Sahu had traveled to Russia on a tourist visa for a job offer and lost contact with his family after September 16. The Embassy of India in Russia has confirmed his detention via email.
Sahu's family alleges the drug charges are false and claims Russian authorities are using the legal case to coerce him into military service. According to his family, police have threatened Sahu with a 15-to-20-year prison sentence or death unless he joins the Russian Army to fight in the war with Ukraine.
Manorama Sahu, the wife of the detainee, has petitioned Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai to intervene and secure her husband's release. This incident follows a similar report from last month involving Vinit Kumar Dubey, a 21-year-old from Bilaspur, whose family alleged he was detained and tortured in Russia to force his enlistment in the military.
