Missing Indian student in Russia found dead in dam
What's the story
The body of a 22-year-old Indian student, Ajit Singh Chaudhary, has been discovered in a dam near the White River in Ufa, Russia. Chaudhary had gone missing on October 19 after leaving his hostel at Bashkir State Medical University to buy milk. His belongings, including clothes, phone, and shoes, were found near a riverbank on Thursday, per reports.
Investigation ongoing
Chaudhary enrolled for MBBS this year
Chaudhary, who hailed from Kaphanwada village in Rajasthan's Alwar district, had enrolled for an MBBS course at the university this year. After he went missing, the Russian police conducted a search and found his jacket and mobile phone on a riverbank in Ufa. A few hours later, his shoes were also found nearby. The White River lies a few kilometers from his college campus, and it was overflowing in October.
Ongoing silence
University yet to comment on incident
"The body has been identified by university students. The process of bringing the body to India has started. Before that, a post-mortem will be conducted by a medical board. It may take 2 days for the body to arrive in India," Alwar Saras Dairy Chairman Nitin Sangwan, who met Minister of State for External Affairs Kirtivardhan Singh in this regard, told reporters. The university is yet to comment on the incident. Chaudhary's friends at the university have confirmed his identification.
Public reaction
Former minister demands Jaishankar's intervention
Former Union Minister Jitendra Singh Alwar expressed shock over the incident, calling it an "extremely sorrowful moment for the Alwar family." He alleged that an "untoward incident occurred with the boy in suspicious circumstances" and urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene. The All India Medical Students' Association has also sought Jaishankar's help in bringing Chaudhary's body back to India.