Chennai, November 10, 2025
In a harrowing tale of bureaucratic nightmare and alleged mistreatment, Dr. K. Jagadeeswaran, a 32-year-old physician from Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu, remains stranded in the Russian resort city of Sochi nearly two months after his detention at the local airport. His wife, Yamini, has leveled serious accusations of torture and humiliation against Russian authorities, urging the Indian government to intervene swiftly for his safe return home.
Dr. Jagadeeswaran, who earned his medical degree from an Armenian university in 2022 and has been practicing at a hospital in Yerevan since, was on a short tourist visa trip to Russia when the ordeal began. Accompanying his friend Shekhar Manikandan—an educational consultant from Chennai—the duo departed from India on September 15. Their plans for a brief vacation unraveled upon landing at Sochi International Airport the following day.
According to Yamini, immigration officials singled out her husband due to his fluency in Russian, a skill honed during his studies in the region. "They interrogated him extensively, mistaking him for a Ukrainian sympathizer amid ongoing geopolitical tensions," she recounted in interviews with Indian media. What started as routine questioning escalated into full detention for both men. Manikandan was released after a grueling week and deported back to India, but Jagadeeswaran was held longer on grounds of "non-cooperation"—a charge the family vehemently denies.
The most distressing allegations center on the conditions of his confinement. Yamini claims her husband endured physical and psychological torment, including denial of adequate food, which exacerbated his pre-existing diabetic condition. "Instead of giving a proper explanation on why he was detained, my husband was harassed and denied proper food. His sugar levels dropped dangerously to 1 percent," she told reporters, her voice breaking as she described receiving frantic calls from him during the ordeal. Photos shared by the family show a visibly weakened Jagadeeswaran, his face gaunt and eyes hollowed by exhaustion.
After weeks in custody, the family hired a local lawyer in Sochi, who secured his release and return of his passport. However, victory was short-lived: Russian officials provided no additional travel documents, leaving him unable to board a flight to Moscow, where the Indian Embassy could facilitate his repatriation. As of today, Jagadeeswaran is holed up in a modest apartment under the lawyer's supervision, surviving on limited funds and the goodwill of acquaintances. The Indian Embassy in Moscow has advised him to reach the capital for consular assistance, but without the necessary paperwork, he remains effectively trapped in limbo.
The couple, married for three years and parents to a young child, had returned to India in August for a family visit before the ill-fated Russia excursion. Yamini, who stayed behind in Armenia with their son, has since shuttled between Yerevan and Chennai, exhausting personal resources in her bid for justice. She has lodged formal complaints with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi and approached the Tamil Nadu BJP unit for political leverage, but sources close to the family say responses have been "sympathetic but slow."
"Right now, he is under the custody of the Russian lawyer whom we hired. The Indian Embassy informed us that he should reach Moscow from Sochi for a safe return to India. But due to lack of proper documents, he is unable to go," Yamini explained in a poignant appeal aired on local Tamil news channels. Her frustration boils over into a broader cry for action: "Through the media, I sincerely request the Central and State governments to take steps for the safe and early release of my husband from Russia."
This incident underscores the vulnerabilities faced by Indian expatriates in regions scarred by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where language skills and travel histories can unwittingly draw suspicion. The MEA has not issued an official statement as of press time, but diplomatic channels are reportedly activated. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's office, when contacted, expressed concern and promised to coordinate with New Delhi.
As winter sets in over the Black Sea coast, Yamini's vigil continues. "He just wants to come home to us," she said simply. For Dr. Jagadeeswaran, a routine trip has morphed into a fight for survival—and a stark reminder of how fragile freedom can be across borders.
For More News Updates Follow Us On Www.tconews.in
