Abused, threatened, tortured: UP engineer recounts Russian detention horror

A Kanpur engineer has accused Russian police of torture during his 48-hour detention in Moscow. He said the episode left him traumatised and that he will never visit Russia again or work abroad.

In Short

• Chandan Gupta detained in Moscow on charges of drunkenness, breaking ambulance window
• He denied charges, said no translator was provided despite language barrier
• He vowed never to work abroad again, citing trauma from Moscow incident

A Kanpur-based engineer who returned from Moscow after spending nearly 48 hours in Russian police custody has alleged that he and a friend were abused, threatened and tortured during the detention. Chandan Gupta said the experience left him so traumatised that he would never work abroad again.

Gupta said he was detained in Moscow on September 5 on allegations that he was under the influence of alcohol and had broken the window of an ambulance. He denied both charges and said Russian police did not show him any evidence.

His wife Sneha, who had appealed for help on social media during his detention, also questioned how the Indian Embassy in Moscow handled the matter.

Gupta, 45, a resident of Yashoda Nagar in Kanpur, returned to the city with his wife and 10-year-old son on Thursday. According to his family, he had been living in Moscow with them since 2023 and was working for Noida-based UFlex Ltd on a highly qualified visa.

Recounting the incident to reporters in Kanpur on Saturday, Gupta said, "I have no intention of going back to Russia for work. In fact, I will never even consider going abroad again."

He said that after dinner on September 5, he had gone for a walk with friends and was heading towards the Kitay-Gorod metro station with his friend Ashish after passing through the Hanging Bridge and Red Square when Russian police detained them.

"They tied one hand of each of us and took us to a police vehicle parked a few hundred metres away. They took our mobile phones, passports and other documents. We repeatedly asked why we were being detained, but they did not tell us," he alleged.

He said police later accused them of breaking an ambulance window and being drunk. "I asked them when and where I had broken the ambulance glass. They did not show me any photograph or video. They also said I was drunk, but I had not consumed alcohol," Gupta said.

Gupta alleged that the police vehicle drove around for nearly an hour before they were taken to a police station, where he and Ashish were not allowed to contact their families or meet anyone. He claimed that police did not provide a translator despite the language barrier.

He further alleged that police pushed and threatened them, and that Ashish was taken to a separate room and beaten with sticks after repeatedly asking why they had been detained.

Before their release, the Russian police allegedly made them sign several documents. "They told us to write whatever they instructed us to write. I was threatened that although I was being released, I could be detained again and police could seek a longer remand if I did not comply," Gupta alleged.

He said his company later arranged lawyers who helped secure their release. "I was scared that if I stayed in Moscow, I could be implicated in another case. That is why I decided to return to India with my family," he said.

A day after Gupta's detention, Sneha shared a video on social media and appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for help. Identifying herself as a resident of Kanpur, she said she was in Moscow with their 10-year-old son and alleged that her husband had been taken away by police around 12:30 am despite, according to her, having done nothing wrong.

She also questioned the response of the Indian Embassy in Moscow. Gupta alleged that no embassy official contacted him during his nearly 48 hours in custody despite his wife's appeal to the Indian government through social media.

"What hurts me most is that the Indian Embassy issued information based on the Russian police version without hearing my side," Gupta alleged.

The Indian Embassy in Moscow had earlier said Gupta was detained by Russian police and accused of being under the influence of alcohol and breaking the windows of an ambulance parked nearby.

Questioning the basis of the allegations, Sneha said, "If Chandan had consumed alcohol, was he medically examined? If he had broken the ambulance window, where is the photograph or video? Where was the ambulance and where was my husband at that time?" She added, "The Indian Embassy should clarify its position and the incident should be investigated."

Sneha said the family felt safer after returning to India and added, "I have complete faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. I believe the Indian government will ensure the safety of its citizens."

- Ends