- The body of 22-year-old Indian student Ajit Singh Chaudhary was found in a dam in Ufa, Russia
- Ajit went missing on October 19 after leaving his hostel to buy milk and never returned
- His clothes, phone, and shoes were found near a riverbank
The body of a 22-year-old Indian student, who went missing in Russia's Ufa city 19 days ago, was recovered from a dam on Thursday.
Ajit Singh Chaudhary, a resident of Kaphanwada village in Lakshmangarh in Rajasthan's Alwar, joined Bashkir State Medical University for an MBBS course in 2023.
He went missing in Ufa on October 19 this year. Sources said the student left his hostel at around 11am, saying he was going to buy milk, but did not return.
Alwar Saras Dairy chairman Nitin Sangwan said Chaudhary's body was found in a dam adjacent to the White River.
There was no immediate statement from the Indian Embassy in Russia but they informed Chaudhary's family about his death on Thursday, the sources said.
Former Union Minister Jitendra Singh Alwar said Chaudhary's clothes, mobile phone and shoes were found near the riverbank 19 days ago. He alleged an "untoward incident occurred with the boy in suspicious circumstances".
"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," he said in a post on X on Thursday.
"The family was extremely distraught upon hearing the news of the 22-year-old boy's disappearance; the entire family had been making efforts and prayers for his safe return," he added.
The Congress leader urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to help bring the student's body to India. "An untoward incident has occurred with the boy in suspicious circumstances; it must be investigated with complete seriousness. The family should not have to run around your offices anymore," he said.
The All India Medical Students' Association (HQs) Foreign Medical Students Wing - the foreign wing of the All India Medical Students' Association - has also approached Jaishankar over the matter.
"His friends studying at the same university have confirmed the identification of the body," the association said.
The university is yet to issue a statement on the student's death.
