Kanpur Engineer Chandan Gupta Released After Detention In Russia, Returns Home

A Kanpur-based engineer who was detained in Russia has been released and has safely returned home, his wife Sneha Gupta confirmed.

Chandan Gupta’s release brings relief to his family days after his detention raised concerns over his safety and the possibility that he could be pressured to join the Russian military.

In a video statement, Sneha said Chandan was released after his employer, Noida-based UFlex Ltd, intervened and arranged legal assistance.

She said the company’s Russian operations remained in regular contact with her throughout the episode and also hired a lawyer to assist her husband.

According to Sneha, the lawyer’s intervention helped secure Chandan’s release.

She also thanked BJP MP Seema Dwivedi and members of Sarv Vaishya Samaj for raising the issue and raising her voice against it to the authorities.

Sneha, who lives in Moscow, was initially not aware of her husband’s arrest.

Chandan was detained around 11.40 pm on Saturday, whose phone and passport were seized, she said. She was told about the detention by a friend who was with him.

After learning what had happened, Sneha said she contacted Chandan’s company to seek information about his whereabouts and the circumstances surrounding the detention.

The company’s administration team and unit head in Russia, she said, remained in touch with her during the situation.

Before Chandan was released, Sneha had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for help.

She said she was worried her husband, who had gone to Russia on a work visa for a professional job, might be forced to join the Russian Armed Forces.

Sneha had also claimed that foreign nationals, including Indians, were contacted for recruiting into the Russian navy in the face of acute manpower shortage.

Chandan and Sneha, who are from Kanpur, have a 10-year-old son.

Following Chandan’s release, Sneha also responded to allegations about him that had appeared in media reports.

She said she learned about those claims through the media and described them as baseless. While she did not elaborate on the allegations, she maintained that there was no evidence supporting them.

The precise circumstances of Chandan’s detention, the nature of any allegations against him and whether military recruitment was involved remain unclear.

During the detention, the Indian Embassy in Russia had acknowledged the matter and said it was in contact with Sneha and local authorities.

The embassy had said Russian law enforcement officials were treating the case as a legal matter under investigation and that it had sought consular access to Chandan.

With Chandan now back home, further details about the circumstances of his detention have not yet been officially disclosed.