Probe launched against recruiting agencies that sent Indians to war-torn Ukraine: MoS Muraleedharan

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Sunday that the authorities have launched an investigation into agencies that recruited Indians to go to war-torn Ukraine after luring them with the promise of a lucrative job in the Russian army.

He said the union government is making all possible efforts to bring back all those who are stranded in the conflict zone, and procedures are underway to take legal action against the agencies that recruited them.

''An investigation is on against those (recruitment) agencies that had recruited them. Steps are also being taken by the central (investigating) agencies to initiate legal action against persons belonging to some of the (recruiting) agencies,'' Muraleedharan told reporters here while replying to a question.

Three young men from Kerala are among those stranded in war-torn Ukraine after being lured with the promise of a lucrative job in the Russian army, and then allegedly being forced to fight in the ongoing conflict there.

According to the families of the three men, they were taken to Russia by a recruitment agency with the promise of a huge salary of Rs 2.5 lakh, and on reaching there, their passports and mobile phones were taken away.

Thereafter, they were made to fight for the Russian forces in Ukraine, they had alleged.