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NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Friday asked the Union government to respond to a habeas corpus petition seeking the safe return of 26 Indian nationals allegedly stuck in Russia and forced to fight in the war against Ukraine.A bench led by chief justice of India Surya Kant, along with justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, issued notice to the Centre and asked it to reply within a week.Quoting messages received from those stranded, lawyers for the families said, “We are stuck in Russia. We are fighting a war against Ukraine for a foreign state unwillingly.” Responding to this, Mehta told the court that the matter would be examined and sought time. The Bench noted this and said it had already asked the government earlier to look into the issue.The petition, filed by family members, said the 26 Indians had travelled to Russia on valid visas, some as tourists, some as students, after being promised jobs by recruitment agents. But after reaching there, their passports were taken away, their movement restricted, and they were threatened and pushed into joining military units linked to the Russian armed forces. Families said the last messages they received, mostly between September and October 2025, showed that the men were in or near active conflict zones such as Kupyansk, Selydove, Makiivka and Chelyabinsk. They had expressed fear and said they could not leave the areas where they were deployed. In many cases, contact has since been lost, and families did not know their current condition or whereabouts.The petition also said that despite repeated requests to authorities, including the ministry of external affairs, the Indian embassy in Moscow, the ministry of home affairs, and state governments, families have not received clear information or effective help. Invoking Article 32 of the Constitution, the petition argued that the government has a duty to protect Indian citizens even outside the country, especially when they cannot protect themselves. It also raised concerns about illegal recruitment networks that target vulnerable people with false job promises and send them abroad.
