Mohammed Asfan, a 30-year-old native of Hyderabad, tragically lost his life several months after being deceived into participating in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, as reported by the Indian Embassy in Moscow on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, approximately 20 Indian citizens are employed as support personnel for the Russian military. Asfan’s relatives revealed to the media that he, along with two others, arrived in Russia in November of the previous year under the impression that they would be employed as aides in Russian government establishments.

His last communication with his family occurred on December 31, shortly before they received the devastating news of his demise.

We have learnt about the tragic death of an Indian national Shri Mohammed Asfan. We are in touch with the family and Russian authorities. Mission will make efforts to send his mortal remains to India.@MEAIndia

— India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) March 6, 2024

Who was Mohammed Asfan?

• Informing that Asfan worked in a cloth showroom in Hyderabad.

• Asfan fell victim to deception orchestrated by an agent based in Dubai, who operates a YouTube channel named ‘Baba Vlogs’, purportedly offering assistance in obtaining work permits for the country in his video content.

• According to the family, the agent assured multiple men lucrative positions as security guards in Russia and collected ₹3 lakh from each of them as payment.

– Upon their arrival in Moscow, Mohammed Asfan and his companions were allegedly coerced into signing a document in Russian, only later realizing that they had been enlisted as “helpers” for the Russian Army, as claimed by Mohammed Imran.

– Mohammed Asfan supposedly contacted the agents to express concerns about being trained in weapon usage, to which they reassured him that it was a normal part of their duties. However, they were subsequently transported to the Russia-Ukraine border, according to Mohammed Imran.

– When the group recently reached out to the agents, they were informed that Asfan’s contract had been terminated and that he had sustained injuries, Mohammed Imran asserted.

– AIMIM sources disclosed to news agency PTI that Asaduddin Owaisi, the party’s chief, reached out to the Indian embassy in Moscow following repeated appeals from Mohammed Asfan’s family in recent days.

– Allegedly, an official from the Indian embassy in Moscow confirmed Mohammed Asfan’s demise to Asaduddin Owaisi.

– Contrary to embassy reports, Mohammed Imran asserted that agents in Russia, with whom he is in contact, are claiming that Mohammed Asfan is alive and currently situated in the Marinca territory of Ukraine, with his agreement allegedly canceled on February 16 by another source.

– Mohammed Imran recounted that a friend of his brother in Russia informed him of his brother sustaining bullet injuries. He received news of these injuries on January 23 through a voice message from Arbab Hussain, raising suspicions of misinformation regarding Asfan’s death. Mohammed Imran expressed distrust towards the agents’ claims of Asfan being alive, emphasizing the need for justice based on embassy confirmation.