Amritsar, June 12 – Pall of gloom descended when the news of the killing of  Tejpal Singh was received by the family members of Tejpal Singh who was killed in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Talking to our correspondent, Parminder Kaur, wife of slain Tejpal Singh (30) who was keen to join the Indian Army went to Russia on tourist Visa when he didn’t get a job in the Indian army.

With sobbing eyes she said, “Mere Sar the Sai” (my husband) had gone to Thailand to seek a job to earn livelihood in December last year. After staying a few days in Thailand he along with his friends went to Russia on January 12,  2024 where he was recruited in the Army”.

Tears rolled down on her cheeks when she told, “Just two days before a telephonic call was received by one of his friends who told me about the death of my husband Tejpal Singh killed in the Ukraine battlefield”.

Adding further with wet eyes she said, “the friend of my husband informed that he was killed in the month of March this year but information of his death surfaced  much late due to conflict of two warring nations”.

Adding further she said that she was informed that yet nobody was sure about the body as nobody knew about it where it was, whether it’s with Russia or still in the custody of Ukraine. No official words either from Russian Army or Indian officials are with family”.

Last evening we sent emails to the Russian Army, Indian MEA (Ministry Of External Affairs) ministry to bring the body here to perform the last rites of departed soul”.

India on Tuesday said two of its nationals, who were recruited by the Russian Army, have recently been killed in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, taking the number of such deaths to four.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India has strongly taken up the matter with Russia and sought early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army.

In a firmly-worded statement, it said India has demanded that there be a “verified stop to any further recruitment of Indian nationals by the Russian Army” and that such activities would not be in “consonance with our partnership”.

 “We regret to state that two Indian nationals who had been recruited by the Russian Army have recently been killed in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” the MEA said.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our embassy in Moscow has pressed the Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Defence, for early repatriation of mortal remains,” it said.

In March this year, 30-year-old Hyderabad resident Mohammed Asfan succumbed to injuries sustained while serving with Russian troops on the frontlines with Ukraine.

In February, Hemal Ashwinbhai Mangua, a 23-year-old resident of Surat in Gujarat, died in a Ukrainian air strike while serving as a “security helper” in the Donetsk region.

“The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian embassy in Moscow have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi and with Russian authorities in Moscow respectively, for early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army,” the MEA said.

The statement by the MEA came hours after Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra attended the Russian National Day reception at the Russian embassy.

According to reports, around 200 Indian nationals were recruited as security helpers in the Russian military.