‘Electric shocks for asking to go to toilet’: Youth recounts horror of more than 3 months in Russian jail

A 25-year-old youth from Haryana who spent over three months in what he described as “hell-like conditions” in a Russian immigration jail has finally returned home.

Sharing his ordeal, Deepak narrated shocking details of the treatment he faced in custody in Moscow.

He said he was kept hungry for three days in a police station and was given only water.

Whenever he asked to go to the toilet, police allegedly administered electric shocks.

According to him, such shocks were given twice a week.

Crediting the efforts ofRajya SabhaMP Balbir Singh Seechewal for securing his release, the youth on Monday came to Sultanpur Lodhi to personally thank the MP.

Deepak said that he left his home on April 22, 2025, after a travel agent took Rs 4 lakh from him promising a job in Russia with a salary of Rs 90,000 per month.

After working for a month in Moscow, however, he was abruptly dismissed when he demanded his salary.

The agent later arranged another job for him in a company about 500 kilometres away, but after working there for another month he received only Rs 5,000 instead of the promised Rs 90,000.

As his financial condition deteriorated, the 25-year-old struggled even to afford food and was unable to pay the rent for his room.

His landlord allegedly confiscated his passport and handed him over to the police, which led to his detention.

After spending three days at the police station, Deepak was shifted to an immigration detention jail.

He said that around 150 Indians were being held there, most of them from Punjab and Haryana, along with detainees from several other countries.

The conditions were so harsh that they severely affected the prisoners’ mental health.

Deepak said that a young man from Cuba committed suicide in a neighbouring cell, an incident that left other detainees deeply shaken.

“At one point I felt that if I had to stay there for another month, I might not survive,” he said.

Food in the jail was another major problem for Indian detainees.

Deepak said boiled beef was served for both lunch and dinner, which most Indian youths refused to eat due to religious and cultural reasons.

As a result, they often survived only on three pieces of bread a day.

Deepak’s family contacted Seechewal on February 2, seeking help.

The MP took up the matter and initiated efforts at various levels, which ultimately led to the youth’s release.

He returned to India on February 17.

The poor diet and harsh conditions badly affected his health.

After returning to India, Deepak had to remain hospitalised for about two weeks.

Following the incident, Seechewal issued a strong warning to youths and families against falling prey to fraudulent travel agents promising jobs abroad.

“In the race to go abroad, many young people are falling into the trap of dishonest agents,” he said, adding that conditions in some countries can be extremely dangerous and youths often face severe hardships.

“This is not just the story of one young man,” Seechewal said.

“It is a lesson for thousands of youths who risk their lives by trusting agents and going abroad through illegal or suspicious means.”
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