Brother of youth stuck in Russia meets Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in Jalandhar

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, July 10

Mandeep (31), a Goraya-based man, is one of the youths stuck in the warzone on the Russia-Ukraine border. His brother Jagdeep said that he had met Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann after he shifted his base to Jalandhar during the run-up to the Jalandhar West by-elections.

“We had told him about the travel agent who duped my brother and tricked him into joining the Russian army. Baad vich jado oh chale jaange Sanu kinne puchna (Who will ask us once he has left the city). That’s why we raised the matter with him too. We want action against the Kapurthala-based travel agent,” said Jagdeep.

Also visitted SSP’s office several times

• Mandeep had gone to Armenia to earn a livelihood for the family. He came in contact with a Kapurthala-based travel agent and when he reached Russia, he was allegedly tricked into joining the army.
• Mandeep suffers from disability. His brother Jagdeep said since the time he got to know that Mandeep was stuck there, he had been to the SSP’s office around 15 times. They want strict action against the accused, he added.

Mandeep had gone to Armenia to earn a livelihood for the family. He came in contact with a Kapurthala-based travel agent and when he reached Russia, he was allegedly tricked into joining the army.

Mandeep suffers from disability. Jagdeep said since the time he got to know that Mandeep was stuck there, he had been to the SSP’s office around 15 times. “We want strict action against the accused,” he added.

It has been four months since Mandeep’s family last heard from him. No news of his well-being or his location and whereabouts has kept the family on tenterhooks. “I live here with my aged parents. We do not look at each other, we do not talk to each other. We are dying to hear from him,” he added.

Last month when reports of the death of an Amritsar man while fighting for the Russian army surfaced, the family of Mandeep Singh also got upset. “Had we been talking to Mandeep, the situation would have been different, but we received a call from him on March 3 when he was very scared and since then there has been no contact with him. So, the death of the Amritsar youth during the Russia-Ukraine war has filled us with fear and worry,” an emotional Jagdeep said. He said he would really want to thank Rajya Sabha MP Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal for taking up the matter with the government.