Indian MBBS Student Found Dead In Russia; Body Recovered From Dam After 19-Day Search

In a tragic development, the body of Ajit Singh Chaudhary a 22-year-old Indian MBBS student from Rajasthan’s Alwar who had been missing in Russia for 19 days has been recovered from a dam near the White River in Ufa, Russia.

Ajit, who had been studying at Bashkir State Medical University since 2023, went missing after he stepped out of his hostel around 11 am on October 19 to buy milk. He had told his roommate that he would return in half an hour but never did. The disappearance triggered a massive search involving local authorities, the Indian Embassy, and his family.

Days after he went missing, Ajit’s clothes, mobile phone, and shoes were found on the riverbank. The Russian authorities informed the Indian Embassy on Thursday that a body had been recovered from a dam connected to the White River. Fellow students later identified the body as Ajit’s.

The post-mortem, according to officials, will be conducted by a medical board in Russia, as the Indian Embassy there is coordinating with the Russian authorities for taking back his remains. The process is expected to take two to three days.

Ajit’s family in Alwar is devastated. Relatives said they sold close to three bighas of land to fund his medical education abroad. “We sent him with dreams of becoming a doctor. Now we are only waiting for his body to return,” a family member said.

The community members in Alwar held a meeting and voiced anger over what they termed as the tardy response from authorities during the initial days of Ajit’s disappearance. Congress leader and former Union Minister Jitendra Singh wrote on X, asking External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to expedite the repatriation and ensure a thorough investigation. “This is a suspicious incident. The family should not have to run around any more,” he posted.

The All India Medical Students’ Association has also written to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Rajasthan Chief Minister, demanding immediate action to bring Ajit’s body back to India. Ajit’s parents, Roop Singh and Santra Devi, have demanded a detailed inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of their son in a foreign land.

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