Days after being detained in Russia, Kanpur-based engineer Chandan Gupta has been released and has safely returned home, his wife Sneha Gupta confirmed in a video. She said her husband was freed after his employer arranged legal assistance and remained in regular contact with her throughout the ordeal. Sneha also thanked BJP MP Seema Dwivedi and members of the Sarv Vaishya Samaj for taking her concerns to the authorities and helping draw attention to the case.
The development has brought relief to the family after Sneha had earlier appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for assistance, expressing concern over her husband’s safety and saying she had no information about what was happening to him.
In her latest statement, Sneha, who is based in Moscow, said she was initially unaware that Chandan had been detained. She said he was taken into custody around 11.40 pm on Saturday and that his phone and passport were confiscated. A friend who was accompanying him later informed her about the detention.
After learning about the incident, Sneha said she immediately contacted Chandan’s company to find out where he was and what had happened. She credited Noida-based UFlex Ltd, where Chandan works, with providing crucial support during the crisis. According to her, the company’s Russian operations, including its administration department and unit head, remained in regular communication with her.
She added that the company arranged a lawyer for Chandan, whose assistance ultimately helped secure his release.
"UFlex Ltd is a Delhi-based company and has a branch here in Russia called UFlex Ltd Russia. The administration department here and the unit head were continuously in touch with me. They also hired a lawyer for my husband, with whose help he was released at night," she said.
WIFE CLAIMS HE WAS TOLD TO JOIN RUSSIAN ARMY
Before Chandan was released, Sneha had publicly raised concerns that he could potentially be pressured into joining the Russian military. She had urged the authorities to intervene and ensure his safe return.
According to details she had previously shared, Chandan travelled to Russia on a work visa for a professional assignment. The couple is from Kanpur and have a 10-year-old son.
Sneha had maintained that her husband had done nothing wrong but was nevertheless detained. She also alleged that foreign nationals, including Indians, were being approached for military recruitment amid personnel shortages in the Russian armed forces.
Following her husband’s release, Sneha also responded to allegations about him that appeared in media reports. She said she first learned about those claims through the media and firmly dismissed them as baseless. Although she said she did not wish to discuss the allegations in detail at present, she maintained that there was no truth or evidence supporting them.
Sneha said being away from India had made the situation especially challenging, and that the support she received helped her cope with the crisis.
The circumstances surrounding Chandan’s detention, the allegations reportedly made against him and any possible military recruitment efforts remain unclear. No official statement on the matter has been issued so far.
During his detention, the Indian Embassy in Russia had acknowledged the case and said it was in contact with Sneha as well as local authorities. The embassy said Russian law enforcement agencies had characterised the matter as a legal issue under investigation and confirmed that it had requested consular access to Chandan.
