What began as a short professional trip to Russia has turned into a nightmare for a Tamil Nadu doctor. Dr. K. Jagadeeswaran from Tiruvallur district has been detained in Russia since September 2025, leaving his wife Yamini desperately pleading for help from both the Central and State governments to bring him home safely.
Yamini, who is currently living in Tamil Nadu with their young daughter, says her husband is being held under unclear circumstances and has suffered harassment and poor treatment while in detention. Her emotional appeal has drawn attention to the struggles of Indian nationals facing legal and bureaucratic challenges abroad.
Dr. Jagadeeswaran completed his medical degree in Armenia in 2022 and has been living in Yerevan, where he was practising medicine. He is fluent in Russian, having studied in the region for several years. In August 2025, he visited Chennai with his wife and child.
During his visit, his friend Shekhar Manikandan, who runs an educational consultancy in Russia, requested him to accompany him on a short business trip to assist with translation and communication. Agreeing to help, the two men left Chennai for Russia on September 15, 2025.
The trouble began soon after they landed at Sochi International Airport on September 16. According to Yamini, Russian immigration officers detained her husband for questioning after learning that he could speak Russian fluently. While his friend Shekhar was released and deported back to India within a week, Jagadeeswaran remained in custody.
Yamini said that her husband was accused of “non-cooperation” by Russian authorities, an allegation the family strongly denies. She insists he was fully compliant and was targeted without any clear reason, PTI reported.
Over the weeks that followed, Yamini said her husband faced humiliation and harassment. She claimed he was denied proper food and medical care, leading to severe weakness and a dangerous drop in his blood sugar levels. Despite being released from initial custody, he was reportedly not allowed to leave Sochi because essential travel documents were withheld by local authorities, she told PTI.
Although his passport was eventually returned after the family hired a lawyer in Russia, he still lacks the official papers required to travel to Moscow and return to India. The Indian Embassy in Moscow has advised that he can only fly home from the capital, but without these documents, he remains stranded.
On November 9, 2025, Yamini made an emotional appeal through the media, urging both the Ministry of External Affairs and the Tamil Nadu government to intervene. Her voice trembled as she said, “Through this message, I beg the government to take immediate steps for my husband’s safe and early release. He has suffered enough, and our little daughter keeps asking for her father every day.”
She has reached out to multiple government offices, hoping for support from Indian diplomats in Moscow to secure his repatriation.
Nearly two months since his detention, the reason behind Dr. Jagadeeswaran’s arrest remains unclear. His family and friends fear his health and mental well-being may worsen if help is delayed.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)
