How are Indian youths being lured to Russia for forced military service?

Immigration agents allegedly use fake study visas and job offers to lure Indian youths to blacklisted Russian institutes, then pressure them to join the army.

What legal action has been taken against the Ludhiana immigration agents?

An FIR has been registered against two agents in Ludhiana for cheating and criminal conspiracy; victims are demanding human trafficking charges.

What is the alleged nexus involving Russian educational institutes?

The alleged nexus involves immigration agents in India collaborating with blacklisted Russian educational institutes to trap Indian students.

Home / Crime and Justice / Study Visa Scam: Indians Forced Into Russian Army

Study Visa Scam: Indians Forced Into Russian Army

13 Jan

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Summary

Deported men suspect immigration agents' nexus with blacklisted Russian institutes.
Victims claim they were lured with jobs and then pressured to join Russian Army.
FIR registered against agents; victims demand human trafficking charges.

Study Visa Scam: Indians Forced Into Russian Army

Five men deported from Russia have exposed a suspected nexus between Indian immigration agents and blacklisted Russian educational institutions. These agents allegedly lured Indian youths with promises of study visas and lucrative jobs, only for them to be detained and pressured into joining the Russian army. A case was registered in Ludhiana on January 8, 2026, against two brothers operating an immigration agency for cheating and criminal conspiracy.

The victims, including Sahil Singh, Rawat Bhatti, Ram Kataria, and Gurjant Singh, were sent to Russia on study visas that allegedly led them to a blacklisted institute. Upon arrival in late October 2025, they were reportedly taken into custody by Russian police. Some were allegedly pressured to sign documents in Russian, with those who complied disappearing.