Indian Supreme Court Lawyer Visits Indian POW in Ukraine and Raises His Case With Coordination HQ

The fate of an Indian prisoner of war was discussed at Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project said. Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, the headquarters' secretary, met Indian human rights lawyer Deepa Joseph and Sister Ligi Payappilly to discuss Sahil Majothi, an Indian citizen captured while fighting for Russia.

Who Met Usov

Joseph is an advocate at India's Supreme Court and the author of a book about her visit to Ukraine during the full-scale invasion. Sister Ligi has served for almost 25 years in the city of Mukachevo, where she is the superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Saint-Marc. Since the first days of the war, the nuns have sheltered refugees at their convent, and she now travels to frontline cities, including Kharkiv, Sumy and Kherson, to support people living under shelling.

In India, Joseph represents Sahil's interests. Before the meeting, she visited him again at the prisoner of war camp.

From a Student Visa to an Assault Unit

According to the project, Sahil came to Russia to study. When his visa ran out, he was offered what he was told was simple work, which turned out to be hiding drug stashes for dealers. He tried to refuse and was handed over to the police. A court sentenced him to seven years in prison, and the project says prison staff forced him to sign a contract with the Russian armed forces. He ended up in an assault unit at the front and was later captured. An interview with him was published by "I Want to Live" on Youtube. 

222 Indians, and Recruitment Continues

The project says that, according to its data, Russia has recruited at least 222 Indians. It says Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally demanded that Vladimir Putin stop recruiting Indians, and that Indian authorities are now seeking the return of recruited citizens and the bodies of those killed.

Russia promised to stop recruiting Indians, but the project says it has reliable data that recruitment continued in 2026. As an example, it cites another Indian captured recently, Randhawa Gurpreet Singh, from the Jalandhar district in India's northern state of Punjab.

A Safe Way Out

Indians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ for recommendations for victims of Russian military recruitment and their families.