Latest news with #AmitTanwar
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Helpless, Humiliated": Indian Tourist Says Spent 3 Days In Russia Detention
Moscow: At least nine Indian tourists allegedly met with "inhuman" treatment in Russia after they were detained upon arrival in Moscow. Amit Tanwar, one of the nine tourists detained by Russian immigration officials, claimed he landed in Moscow with 11 other Indians with all necessary and valid documents, but only three of them were cleared by the immigration officials. In a lengthy post on Instagram, Tanwar narrated his hours-long ordeal and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Embassy in Moscow to intervene. "Whoever thinks India is a superpower or believes that India-Russia ties are strong - it's a myth," he said. According to Tanwar, his nightmare started on July 8 when his group of 12 tourists landed in Moscow, "with all the necessary and valid documents." "Out of the 12, only three were cleared by Moscow immigration, while the remaining nine (including myself) were held back without any explanation," he wrote. Tanwar said that Russian authorities took their passport and asked them to sit in a "corner filled with other Indian travellers." Their group was taken to a separate room about an hour later. There, Tanwar claimed, the immigration officers checked their mobile phones, "including our photo galleries, Google search history and YouTube activity for nearly 10-15 minutes." "They also went through all our documents, travel itineraries, and the cash we were carrying." The group was later told that they would be deported. "The officers spoke only in Russian among themselves and later informed us that we were being deported. We were then moved to another room already filled with people - some of whom claimed to have been held there for 2-3 days," he stated. The man claimed that there was no clear communication or clarity from the Russian authorities about the reason for deportation or their current status. He said they were confined in a small, locked room, with no basic assistance. "We are being treated like criminals... The treatment we are receiving is inhumane, and we are feeling helpless and humiliated," he said. Elaborating on his mental ordeal, Tanwar said, "They are departing us in small groups-- just 1 or 2 people at a time. Imagine the mental state of the last person left behind, waiting alone, unsure of then they'll be sent back or what will happen next." Tanwar said the Russian authorities are sending them back via Baku in Azerbaijan, and expressed fear that the treatment they received in Moscow will be repeated there. He said the tourists offered to book their return flights themselves, but Russian authorities did not allow them to do so. "We are stuck here with no idea when we will be released - it might take 2-3 days, or maybe even are so scared of the authorities here that we are even hesitant to raise a complaint or speak publicly-- fearing that doing so might get us held even longer," he said. He also shared the photo of the food served to the detainees by the Russian authorise, which was only a small amount of small rice and boiled veggies. Tanwar said they were given food and a 500 ml water bottle--only twice a day. The Russian officials are extremely rude towards Indian citizens. In a later post on his Instagram stories, Tanwar informed that he landed in Mumbai in the early hours of Thursday.
Mint
4 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Confined in small locked room,' Indian travellers to Russia allege they were detained without explanation
An Indian traveller to Moscow has alleged that he, along with several others, was detained by immigration officials without any explanation and is being "treated like a criminal." Amit Tanwar, who took to Instagram to convey the horrifying experience, alleged that 'their passports have been taken' and currently, they are 'confined in a small locked room, with no proper information or basic assistance.' Tanwar also shared a video along with the post. The post reads, 'Whoever thinks India is superpower and India-Russia ties are strong - it's a myth.' It adds, 'We are a group of 12 Indian tourists who travelled to Moscow with all necessary and valid documents. Out of 12, only 3 were cleared by Moscow immigration, while remaining 9, (including myself), were held without any explanation. We arrived in Moscow on July 8 at 10 am, and after being denied entry, our passports were taken. We were instructed to 'follow' the officials and asked to sit in a corner with other Indian travelers.' 'After about an hour, we were taken to a separate room. The immigration officers checked our phones - including photos, Google search history and Youtube activity. They also went through our documents, travel itineraries and the cash we were carrying. No questions were asked. The Russian officials were speaking among themselves in Russian and later informed us that we were being deported. We were then moved to another room - filled with other people. Some of them claimed that they were held for two to three days.' He further writes, 'We are being treated as criminals. There has been no communication or clarity from the authorities about our reason for deportation. At the moment, we are confined in a small locked room, with no proper information or basic assistance. The treatment we are receiving is inhumane, and we are feeling helpless and humiliated.' Tanwar is concerned that they are likely to be sent back via Baku, Azerbaijan, where they might face similar treatment. He also said that the authorities were not allowing them to book flight tickets to return to India voluntarily. "We are so scared of the authorities here that we are even hesitant to raise a complaint or speak publicly... We are stuck here with no idea when we will be released - it might take 2-3 days, or maybe even 4-5," he said. Tanwar tagged both PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar to the post. The incident follows reports of several Indians stranded in Russia being forced to fight in the country's war against Ukraine.
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'Felt Helpless And Humiliated': Indian Tourist Alleges ‘Inhumane' Treatment In Russia
Last Updated: Amit Tanwar claimed "inhumane" treatment by Russian immigration officials after he and eight others were detained in Moscow despite valid documents. An Indian tourist alleged 'inhumane" treatment at the hands of Russian immigration officials after he and eight others from his group were detained for hours upon arrival in Moscow, despite carrying valid travel documents. The claims were made by Amit Tanwar, who shared a detailed account of the ordeal on Instagram and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Embassy in Moscow to intervene. Amit Tanwar, who travelled to Russia on July 8 with 12 other Indian tourists, said the nightmare began as soon as they landed. While three members of the group were cleared by immigration, the remaining nine were allegedly pulled aside without explanation. Their passports were confiscated and they were asked to sit in a corner already crowded with other Indian travellers, Amit Tanwar alleged. 'Whoever thinks India is a superpower or believes that India-Russia ties are strong- it's a myth," Amit Tanwar wrote in his post. He described how the group was later taken to a separate room, where immigration officers allegedly inspected their mobile phones, photo galleries, search histories and YouTube activity for 10–15 minutes. 'The officers spoke only in Russian among themselves. Eventually, we were told we would be deported," he claimed. Amit Tanwar said the group was then moved to a locked, cramped room filled with other detainees- some of whom claimed to have been held for up to three days. He alleged they were denied basic facilities and received no explanation about the deportation process, which was reportedly being carried out slowly, with one or two people processed at a time. 'We are being treated like criminals… The treatment we are receiving is inhumane. We feel helpless and humiliated," he wrote. According to Amit Tanwar, they were deported via Baku, Azerbaijan and were worried about facing similar treatment if they returned to Moscow. He further alleged that Russian authorities were not allowing them to book return flights to India voluntarily. 'We're so scared of the authorities here that we're even hesitant to complain or speak publicly. We don't know when we'll be released- it could take 2-3 days or even 4-5," he said. view comments First Published: July 09, 2025, 19:35 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
