Two days after he was taken into custody in Moscow, Russia, Kanpur engineer Chandan Gupta has been released by Russian authorities, with his employer arranging a local lawyer and intervening in the case. His wife, Sneha Gupta, confirmed his return in a purported video, ending a period of uncertainty for the family.
Chandan, a resident of Yashoda Nagar in Kanpur, is working in Russia on a project on a work visa. Sneha and their 10-year-old child are also in Moscow.
Chandan was taken into custody around 11:40 pm on Saturday, with Russian authorities also taking his mobile phone and passport, Sneha said. She initially did not know where he had been taken. A friend who was with Chandan later informed her, following which she contacted his employer.
The Moscow unit of the Noida-based company arranged a local lawyer and took up the matter with Russian authorities. Sneha said the company remained in touch with her and assisted with the legal process, following which Chandan was released.
According to sources, Chandan and a friend were allegedly arrested after they allegedly damaged the windows of an ambulance parked nearby. Russian police subsequently took Chandan into custody. Sneha did not mention the alleged incident in her video confirming his release.
The detention had earlier left Sneha worried about her husband’s safety. She had expressed concern over reports of foreign nationals being recruited into the Russian military amid a shortage of soldiers, fearing Chandan could also be pressured to join.
{{/usCountry}}The detention had earlier left Sneha worried about her husband’s safety. She had expressed concern over reports of foreign nationals being recruited into the Russian military amid a shortage of soldiers, fearing Chandan could also be pressured to join.
{{/usCountry}}Before his release, the Indian embassy had also sought consular access to Chandan while Russian authorities were treating the matter as a legal case.