Indian student found dead in Russia 19 days after he went missing; had stepped out to 'buy milk'

A medical student from Rajasthan's Alwar who went missing in Russia's Ufa in October has been found dead. Hailing from Kafanwada village in Alwar's Lakshmangarh, the 22-year-old student identified as Ajit Singh Chaudhary, was pursuing an MBBS course from Bashkir State Medical University in Ufa. He had been in Russia since 2023 when his course began. He went missing on October 19 after he reportedly stepped out to buy milk.

Former Union Minister Jitendra Singh Alwar confirmed his death and said that he was found dead near a dam adjoining the White River. Multiple reports quoted sources and said that the Indian Embassy in Russia informed Chaudhary's family about his death. There is no official statement by the embassy yet. Jitendra Singh Alwar also said that earlier his clothes, phone, and shoes were recovered from the riverside. The Congress leader has now urged the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to help bring the student's body to India.

"Ajit, from Kaphanwada village, had been sent to Russia by his family with great hopes and by pooling their hard-earned money to pursue medical studies. Today's news of Ajit's body being found in the river is utterly shocking. This is an extremely sorrowful moment for the Alwar family; in suspicious circumstances, we have lost a promising young boy," Jitendra Singh Alwar wrote in a post on X.

All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) has also written a letter to Jaishankar asking him to bring Chaudhary's body back to the country as soon as possible. Dr Mohammad Momin Khan of Apollo Hospital and Vice President of AIMSA shared the letter on X. “In this hour of profound loss, AIMSA earnestly requests the kind intervention of the Hon’ble Ministry to coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Moscow and the Russian authorities to ensure the early repatriation of the mortal remains of Late Shri Ajit Chaudhary to his family in Rajasthan,” the letter requested.