New Delhi: A 22-year-old student from Alwar in Rajasthan, pursuing medicine in Russia, was found dead in a dam in that country on Thursday. Ajit Singh Chaudhary was reported missing from his hostel in Ufa on October 19.
His family has sought assistance from the Indian Embassy in getting his death investigated and sending the body back home from Russia.
Chaudhary was from the Kaphanwada village in Alwar’s Lakshmangarh. He travelled to Russia in 2023 to study medicine at the Bashkir State Medical University in Ufa. His family had reportedly sold their land to fund his education and are now seeking answers from the Russian government.
It has come to be known that Chaudhary left his hostel around 11 am on October 19 to buy milk. He did not return. On Thursday, his body was fished out from a dam of the White River. His clothes, shoes and phone were found on the riverbank, giving rise to suspicions of foul play.
The Indian Embassy in Moscow has said that it has taken up the matter with Russian authorities and working towards getting the body sent back to India.
Former Union minister Jitendra Singh Alwar said an “untoward incident occurred with the boy under suspicious circumstances”.
“Ajit, from Kaphanwada village, had been sent to Russia by his family with great hopes and by pooling their hard-earned money to pursue medical studies. Today’s news of Ajit’s body being found in the river is utterly shocking. This is an extremely sorrowful moment for the Alwar family; in suspicious circumstances, we have lost a promising young boy,” he said in a post on X.
“The family was extremely distraught upon hearing the news of the 22-year-old boy’s disappearance; the entire family had been making efforts and prayers for his safe return,” he added.
He has also sought assistance from external affairs minister S Jaishankar to help bring the student’s body to India.
“An untoward incident has occurred with the boy in suspicious circumstances; it must be investigated with complete seriousness. The family should not have to run around your offices anymore,” he said.
The Foreign Medical Students’ Wing of the All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA) has also approached Jaishankar over the matter.
“In this hour of profound loss, AIMSA earnestly requests the kind intervention of the Hon’ble Ministry to coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Moscow and the Russian authorities to ensure the early repatriation of the mortal remains of Late Shri Ajit Chaudhary to his family in Rajasthan,” AIMSA wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs.
