By Elvish Haokip, Kukiland Express Desk
Songpi: April 24, 2026
The central government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that 10 Indians who travelled to Russia have died in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with most of them fighting as part of Russian forces under voluntary contracts. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati made the submission before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, adding that the Ministry of External Affairs has been in contact with the families of the deceased and is pursuing a multipronged approach to address the issue.
The case stems from a writ petition filed by relatives of 26 Indians who allegedly went to Russia seeking employment but were tricked and coerced into combat roles. The bench, which also includes Justices Vipul Pancholi and Joymalya Bagchi, had earlier sought the Union Government’s response on the matter. ASG Bhati told the court that of the 26 individuals named in the petition, 10 had unfortunately died, while the status of others remains under review by Indian authorities in coordination with Moscow.
During the hearing, the Centre maintained that though several Indians entered the conflict voluntarily, there could have been instances where unscrupulous agents misled them with false job promises. The ASG noted that out of 215 Indians who went to Russia in recent years, families of only 26 had approached the court, suggesting the MEA has been regularly engaging with most affected families. She emphasized that the government is committed to supporting every Indian citizen in distress abroad, including efforts to repatriate mortal remains from the war zone.
The petitioners’ counsel, however, contested the Centre’s claims and alleged that the MEA had not communicated effectively with the families. The lawyer told the court that over 120 representations had been sent by the families in recent months without a forthcoming response. He argued that unauthorized private individuals were providing more help than the ministry itself, and urged the court to direct the government to at least collect DNA samples from relatives to aid identification of remains.
A tense exchange followed as ASG Bhati described difficulties faced by officials in retrieving bodies from active conflict areas. “We have arranged mortal remains, and the 26th petitioner now says you keep it for 3 months,” she submitted, adding that non-cooperation from some families was hampering efforts. “They have been communicating with us to bring back the mortal remains, they said we don’t have the capacity. Yesterday, they told us, you keep the mortal remains, we are going to court. This is the behaviour,” Bhati told the bench.
Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that the matter requires tactful handling and acknowledged the immense challenge of locating and recovering remains from a war zone. “Finding mortal remains from a war zone might be a near impossibility,” the Chief Justice remarked, noting the human angles involved. The bench stressed the need for sensitivity from both the government and the petitioners while addressing such cases of overseas distress.
The ASG reiterated that the MEA continues to work through diplomatic channels with Russian authorities to verify details of Indians involved in the conflict. She said the government is also investigating the role of recruitment agents who may have lured job-seekers with fraudulent offers, only for them to end up on the frontlines. The Centre assured the court that every effort is being made to assist families, provide consular access, and ensure compensation where applicable under existing schemes for Indians who die abroad.
Concluding the hearing, the Supreme Court directed the Ministry of External Affairs to file a detailed status report outlining all steps taken so far, including communication with families, recovery of mortal remains, and action against agents involved in illegal recruitment. The case has highlighted the risks faced by Indian workers seeking employment overseas and the complexities governments face when citizens become entangled in foreign wars.
