Srinagar. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recorded the statements of the family members of Azad Yusuf Kumar, the Kashmiri youth who was unknowingly pushed into the Russia-Ukraine conflict by human traffickers. The agency recently recorded the statements of 19 people involved in the exploitation of Indian youth after filing an FIR against them and a visa consultancy firm.
Azad’s elder brother Sajjad Ahmed Kumar told PTI that the CBI questioned him about his brother’s condition. Asked to come to the office in New Delhi, however, he could not follow the instructions of CBI due to the current financial crisis.
Sajjad also said that 12 other families have been contacted by the CBI and they have asked for the safe return of their loved ones. On March 8, the CBI, while taking action against the human trafficking network pushing Indian youth into the war zone, had identified the key architects of the case, including an agent based in Russia. These agents lured Indian youth with lucrative job offers in Russia and pushed them into conflict.
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Azad, a 31-year-old engineering graduate from Pulwama, was initially looking for a job in Dubai, but was misled by false promises and went to fight the war as a mercenary of the Russian Army. Azad informed the family about his dangerous situation at the Ukraine border, after which his family requested the government to intervene for his safe return.
According to Azad’s family, Azad had gone to Dubai on December 14 last year in search of a good job after being tempted by YouTuber Faisal Khan. Later, he was deceived and went to take part in the war. The family urged the central government to intervene and save Azad from that war, saying, ‘The YouTuber had promised him a job in Dubai, however he became a mercenary for the Russian army.’
Despite efforts by Indian authorities to contact the Russian government and provide necessary documents, little progress has been made towards Azad’s return. Azad’s family expressed deep concern for him, highlighting the dangers he faces every day in unfamiliar territory. CBI investigation exposed the fraud network involved in human trafficking by giving false allurements.
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FIRST PUBLISHED: March 31, 2024, 22:40 IST