Gujarat man in ‘Ukraine captivity’ appeals to PM in video: ‘Please help’

In one of the two video messages – one recorded in English and the other in Hindi – the family received on Sunday night claiming to have been shared by ‘Ukrainian authorities’, Sahil says, “Right now I am stuck in Ukraine as a war criminal. Now I am hopeless, I don’t know what will happen in future. But I want to send a message to my Indian citizens. Those Indians coming to Russia for higher studies or work, be careful because there are so many scammers here. You may be trapped in criminal cases, narcotics cases, illegal cases, so take care of yourself. As far as possible, stay away from all this.”

He is also seen making an appeal, “I appeal to the Indian government, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and S Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs), if possible, please help. That’s all”.

Though the video messages do not reveal the dates when they were recorded, one of them seems to be a recent one as Sahil is heard mentioning about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s India visit on December 4 and 5.

“….Now I am in an Ukrainian military jail because I signed the war contract when I was stuck in a Russian jail. I signed the contract only to escape from the Russian jail. Now I know about (Vladimir) Putin coming to India to meet my government. Also I want to tell my government to have a conversation with Vladimir Putin to help me return home. I want to come back home,” Sahil says in the video recorded in English.

He also says that in 2024 he came to Russia for studies but because of his financial and visa problems, he got stuck in some problems.

“I came in contact with some people from Russia and I was arrested in a narcotics case. I have not done anything wrong but sentenced to seven years in jail. Misled by Russian police, I signed the war contract in prison to fight the war for Russia, which is the biggest mistake in my life,” he says in one of the two videos.

The videos have a logo “I Want to live”, a governmental project of the Coordination Headquarters on the Treatment of Prisoners of War established with the support of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. As per its official website, it is intended for servicemen of the Russian armed forces willing to voluntarily surrender before Ukraine forces.

When contacted, his mother Hasinaben Samsudinbhai Majothi told The Indian Express, “I received these videos today from Ukraine authorities. Even the Ukraine government wants to hand over Sahil to us and we have requested our government too for the same. Two days back we went to Delhi seeking help and met several people, including some politicians. We have submitted applications, including to Jaishankar.” Earlier, Hasinaben had also moved Delhi High Court, seeking the court’s direction to the authorities to take steps to trace and bring back her son. According to Hasinaben, Sahil was “framed in a false case with the intent to extort money from the petitioner (Hasinaben) for his release” in Russia.

The Delhi High Court on November 3 had directed the Centre through the Ministry of External Affairs to appoint a liaison officer for establishing contact with Ukrainian authorities while urging the Consular General to take steps for “repatriation” of Sahil Majothi. The court has also urged the Indian authorities to make attempts so that contact is established between Sahil and his mother, a cancer patient. The next hearing in the case is listed for February 2.

According to Hasinaben, her brother received a call from Sahil on April 10, 2024, at midnight to inform that the Russian police was “arresting him for reasons unknown to him” following which the call was disconnected. The family was unable to get in touch with him thereafter.

In her petition in the Delhi HC, Hasinaben has submitted that her son, while in Russia, “was working with a courier company on a part-time basis, was framed in a false drugs case as part of ploy to extort money from his family” and that she apprehends that her son has been duped into fighting for Russian forces in the country’s war with Ukraine.

According to the petition, despite repeated representations by the family to various authorities, including on the PMO Grievance Portal, there has been no response. She added that she has been rendered a “hapless mother whose sole source of support and motivation to live was her son about whom she has no accurate information.”