Delhi court denies bail to man accused of trafficking Indian citizens

New Delhi: A Delhi court has denied bail to a man accused of trafficking Indian citizens to Russia to deploy them on the war front against Ukraine against their will, observing that the charges charges against him are serious and that he could attempt to destroy evidence.

Special Judge Atul Krishna Agrawal refused to grant relief to Mumbai resident Micheal Elangovan Anthony, who maintained his innocence.

“The allegations against the accused are grave and serious in nature. Release of the applicant on bail at this stage will hamper further investigation into the case. It is also possible that he will attempt to destroy evidence that has not yet been obtained by the IO (investigator). Plaintiff may also assist other defendants in continuing to evade legal process,” the judge said in an order issued June 7.

The accused had sought bail, claiming that he himself was a victim of the racket and falsely implicated in the case.

Anthony was arrested on April 26 and has been in custody ever since.

According to the CBI, the accused and his alleged accomplices trafficked Indian nationals to Russia on the pretext of getting them jobs in the Russian Army as security guards, aides, etc., in exchange for money.

The CBI claimed the victims were “deceptively tricked into signing a contract to join the Russian army”. They were trained for combat roles and provided with Russian army uniforms and insignia.

These Indian nationals were then deployed to war zones against their will and their lives were put in danger, the CBI claims, adding that some of them were also seriously injured.

The alleged fraudsters had also duped Indian students by promising them admission to dubious private universities in Russia. They offered them discounted free visa extensions, pricing structure, etc. and left them at the mercy of visa officers and university authorities, it is claimed.

The passports of the victims of the alleged scam, according to the CBI, were seized by the agents upon their arrival in Russia.