Hyderabad: Pall of gloom surrounded the family of Mohammad Asfan aged 30 as they performed his last rites on Sunday afternoon, March 17 at Bazarghat’s Masjid-e-Qutub Shahi. He was killed at the Ukrainian border after a bullet hit him.
Scores of people attended the funeral to pay their last respects.
Speaking to Siasat.com, one of Asfan’s relatives, Md Jani Miya called Asfan a “good child.”
“He worked as a store manager in Allen Solley. Salary was also good. He was taken to Moscow and they treated him well. And then suddenly they were taken to Ukraine and handed over to a Russian military officer. That’s when they realised something was wrong,” he said.
His mortal remains were brought to the city on Saturday afternoon, March 16.
Asfan, who worked at Allen Solley, an apparel store in the city had travelled to Moscow in December last year after getting in touch with agents who promised to pay him a handsome salary in Russia.
Asfan and others were allegedly misled by agents, who recruited them as ‘army helpers’ to aid the Russian military during the conflict. They were told that they were being hired for non-combatant roles.
He reportedly paid Rs 3 lakh to the agents based in Mumbai for the opportunity.
Asfan departed for Moscow on November 9, drawn by the lucrative offer.
His last video call, made from the Russia-Ukraine border, was on December 31. “Since then, there has been no communication, and we recently learned he suffered a leg injury. We urge the government to intervene and facilitate their evacuation,” his brother Imran, had told reporters.
The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Russia got in touch with the local authorities and facilitated the transport of his dead body to Hyderabad.
Several Indians duped: MEA
Several Indian nationals have been “duped” to work with the Russian Army and India has strongly taken up the matter with Moscow for their early discharge, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on March 8.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said strong action has been initiated against agents and unscrupulous elements who recruited the Indians on false pretexts and promises.
Jaiswal said India remains committed to ensure the early release of its nationals serving as support staff with the Russian Army.
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