Punjab Newsline | Fatehabad (Haryana)
A tragic incident has come to light from Haryana’s Fatehabad district, where a young man from Kumharia village lost his life in the Russia-Ukraine war. The deceased has been identified as 23-year-old Ankit Jangra. His mortal remains arrived in Delhi on Saturday. Meanwhile, another young man from the same village, Vijay Punia, who had also gone abroad, remains missing with no information about his whereabouts.
Family members have left for Delhi to receive the body
Family members have left for Delhi to receive the body, which is expected to be brought back to the village by evening for the last rites. According to the family, they were informed on Friday that Ankit’s body was being sent to India. The news has cast a pall of grief over the entire village. Ankit’s elder brother, Raghuveer, said the family had been making continuous efforts to bring him back, but ultimately received the heartbreaking news of his death.
The family further stated that they had approached multiple authorities, including officials in Delhi and Chandigarh, and sought help from the Russian Embassy, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Defence Ministry. Sirsa MP Kumari Selja and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda had also written to the External Affairs Minister, seeking intervention in the matter.
Ankit had gone to Russia in February 2025, trapped into Russian military
Ankit had gone to Russia in February 2025 on a study visa and had enrolled in a language course at an institute in Moscow. Along with his studies, he was working at a restaurant to manage his expenses.
During his stay, he reportedly came in contact with certain individuals who later got him recruited into the army. The family has alleged that a female agent lured Ankit, Vijay, and around 15 other youths with promises of better job opportunities and trapped them into joining the Russian military.
When the family tried to contact the agent, she initially claimed that both Ankit and Vijay had died and later switched off her phone. Vijay Punia has been missing for the past three months, and the family had already feared something unfortunate due to the lack of communication.