Delhi HC Orders Urgent Diplomatic Efforts to Bring Back Indian Student Detained in Ukraine
Delhi HC demands urgent action for 22-year-old held captive.
The Delhi High Court has directed the Central government to take immediate diplomatic steps to secure the safe return of 22-year-old Indian student Sahil Mahmad Husen Majothi, detained by Ukrainian forces after allegedly being coerced into the Russian Army. Justice Sachin Datta expressed grave concern, stating, “He must have been forced to join,” and ordered the appointment of a liaison officer to coordinate with Ukraine and ensure consular access. The case, filed by Majothi’s cancer-stricken mother from Gujarat, marks the first known instance of an Indian national held in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Majothi, a resident of Morbi, arrived in St. Petersburg in January 2024 on a study visa to pursue Russian language and culture at ITMO University. According to the petition, he was working part-time for a courier company when Russian authorities falsely implicated him in a drug case in April 2024. Following his arrest, he was reportedly pressured into military service under duress and later captured by Ukrainian troops during combat operations.
The student’s mother, Hasinaben Samsudinbhai Majothi, lost all contact after his detention and approached the court after repeated appeals to Indian authorities went unanswered. “She is battling cancer and fears for her only son’s life,” her lawyers told the bench. The court has given the government four weeks to submit a detailed status report on efforts made, with the next hearing scheduled for December 3.
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The Union government has been instructed to explore all diplomatic channels, including direct engagement with Ukrainian officials, to verify Majothi’s condition and facilitate his repatriation. The court emphasized urgency, noting the young man’s vulnerability as a civilian caught in a war zone through no fault of his own.
This rare judicial intervention highlights growing risks for Indian students in conflict zones and the limits of consular protection in active war theaters. As the Centre scrambles to respond, the case puts pressure on India’s foreign policy machinery to act swiftly and prevent a humanitarian tragedy.
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