Russian embassy helped woman escape; SC raps Delhi Police
The Supreme Court has called out Delhi Police for failing to find Viktoriia Basu, a Russian woman who left India with her son on July 7, 2025—breaking a shared custody order.
The twist? Officials from the Russian Embassy reportedly helped her escape to Russia via Nepal and Sharjah, even arranging a taxi and paying ₹75,000 through an Indian businessman.
The court is worried this could be international child abduction or even human trafficking, and questioned why stronger alerts weren't issued sooner.
Russia hasn't responded to requests
Delhi Police know which embassy officials were involved but can't question them because of diplomatic immunity rules.
Despite repeated requests from the Ministry of External Affairs, there's been little progress—officials haven't responded to questions, and attempts to track Basu have hit dead ends as Russian authorities block payment data citing privacy.
The Supreme Court now wants Delhi Police to step up their efforts and report back in two weeks, stressing that protecting children must go hand-in-hand with maintaining diplomatic ties.