Punjab Man Duped With Fake Russian Job Offer, Left Stranded In Moscow Forest

A man from Jalandhar has alleged that he was duped by a travel agent who promised him a high-paying fruit-picking job in Russia but instead abandoned him in a remote forest after he landed in Moscow. 

In a series of five videos documenting his journey from Delhi Airport to Russia, the man urged others not to trust travel agents, claiming they are luring Indians with fake job offers and allegedly pushing them toward recruitment into the Russian military.

The youth, identified as Akashdeep, a resident of Jalandhar's Ram Nagar area, said he flew from Delhi to Moscow on June 15 after being assured by a local agent, Pawan Kumar, that he would get a well-paid fruit-picking job along with air-conditioned accommodation and good food.

Instead, Akashdeep alleged that an associate of the agent took him from Moscow Airport and abandoned him at what he described as a "scrapyard-like" shelter deep inside a forest. He claimed he is stranded there with several other Indians from Haryana and Rajasthan. According to him, 10 people are forced to sleep in a cramped room resembling a bathroom.

He warned others not to fall into the trap of such agents, alleging that many are misleading young Indians with fake employment promises before facilitating their recruitment into the Russian military.

Agent Lured Him With Attractive Job Offer

Akashdeep said he obtained his Russian visa through Jalandhar-based agent Pawan Kumar, who assured him that fruit-picking jobs in Russia offered lucrative salaries and comfortable living conditions.

Believing the agent's promises, he boarded a flight from Delhi to Moscow on June 15. However, he claimed that after arriving in Russia, he realised that everything he had been told was false.

Picked Up at Moscow Airport, Then Left In A Forest

According to Akashdeep, an associate of the agent collected him from Moscow Airport along with nearly 10 other Indian citizens. He said they were driven into a forest and left there without guidance. Akashdeep claimed he was the only Punjabi in the group, while the others were from Haryana and Rajasthan. They allegedly wandered through the forest before eventually reaching the agent's hideout.

Forced to Stay In A Dilapidated Shelter

In one of his videos, Akashdeep said the group had been accommodated in a small, broken-down structure resembling a scrapyard. He claimed they had no information about where they would be taken next or what work they would be assigned. He said he uploaded the videos mainly to let his family know that he had reached Russia safely.

Showing his accommodation in the videos, Akashdeep said he wanted others in Punjab to see the reality of life in Russia. He claimed the room had dirty beds, while the toilet was in such poor condition that its broken door could not even be shown on camera.

Akashdeep further alleged that when they asked why they had been abandoned, the agent's associate told them he had not yet received payment and therefore would not take them anywhere until the money arrived. Surrounded by dense forest, Akashdeep said they had no idea how to leave the area or where to seek help.

'Promised A Work Visa, Given A Tourist Visa'

Akashdeep claimed the agent had assured him he would receive a work visa. However, after arriving in Russia, he discovered that he had actually entered on a tourist visa. When he questioned the agent, he was allegedly told that the visa would later be extended. The agent later told him that his responsibility ended the moment he landed in the country. "He told me, 'I brought you to Russian soil. My job is over. Whatever happens now is your responsibility,'" Akashdeep alleged.

Akashdeep also revealed that his mother is currently admitted to a hospital in Jalandhar while he remains stranded in Russia. Appealing to other young Indians, he urged them not to travel to Russia through agents. He further alleged that many agents are working together to send Indian youths to Russia and that several young men from Haryana and Rajasthan have allegedly been pushed toward the ongoing war after being misled with fake job offers.

The allegations made by Akashdeep have not been independently verified, and there has been no immediate response from the agent named in the videos.