An Amritsar family has sought government help after Heera Singh, who travelled to Moscow on a student visa, went missing following alleged recruitment into the Russian military.
Family members of Heera Singh meet Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal at Nirmal Kutia in Sultanpur Lodhi after the Punjab youth went missing following alleged recruitment into the Russian military.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has cast a long shadow over a family in Punjab, where an Amritsar resident who travelled to Moscow on a student visa has been missing for the past eight months after allegedly being recruited into the Russian military.
The case has now reached Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, who has taken up the matter with the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), seeking diplomatic intervention through Indian authorities in Moscow.
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Heera Singh’s family met Seechewal at Nirmal Kutia in Sultanpur Lodhi, pleading for help in tracing his whereabouts after months without any contact.
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According to his wife, Navdeep Kaur, Heera had moved to Moscow in October 2024 for higher studies. However, she claimed that in August 2025, he was recruited into the Russian Army after being promised a lucrative salary package and non-combat duties.
The family alleged that recruiters offered Heera a signing amount of ₹14 lakh along with a monthly salary of ₹2.5 lakh. They were reportedly assured that his work would be limited to logistical support roles such as bunker preparation and food supply for troops.
“He was mentally unprepared for war,” Navdeep said, alleging that despite those assurances, her husband was pushed into an active conflict zone after just 15 days of basic training.
The family last spoke to Heera in September 2025. Since then, there has been no communication.
The prolonged uncertainty has left the family battling both emotional trauma and financial hardship.
Navdeep is currently raising three young children on her own, including her six-year-old son who suffers from severe Cerebral Palsy, a neurological condition that affects movement, muscle control, and speech.
According to the family, the child is unable to walk, sit, hear, or speak independently and requires constant care.
Their second child is two-and-a-half years old, while the youngest is a one-year-old infant.
Witnesses at Nirmal Kutia said the atmosphere turned emotional when Navdeep broke down while caring for her eldest child during the meeting with Seechewal.
Assuring the family of support, Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal said he would remain in touch with the MEA and the Indian Embassy in Moscow to pursue the matter.
“We are making a representation to seek specialised medical and financial aid for the child through the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.
He also announced that his foundation would bear the educational expenses of all three children.
The case adds to a growing number of reports involving Indian youths allegedly being lured into foreign military service under the promise of jobs, financial incentives, or study opportunities abroad.
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