Tragic Discovery: Indian Medical Student Found Dead in Russian Dam After 19-Day Search

A 22-year-old Indian student's body was recovered from a dam on Thursday after being missing for 19 days in Russia's Ufa city.

Ajit Singh Chaudhary, who hailed from Kaphanwada village in Rajasthan's Alwar district, had been studying at Bashkir State Medical University for his MBBS degree since 2023.

According to sources, Chaudhary disappeared on October 19 when he left his hostel around 11am to purchase milk but never returned.

Nitin Sangwan, chairman of Alwar Saras Dairy, confirmed that Chaudhary's body was discovered in a dam next to the White River.

While there was no immediate statement released by the Indian Embassy in Russia, they informed Chaudhary's family about his death on Thursday.

Former Union Minister Jitendra Singh Alwar revealed that Chaudhary's clothes, mobile phone, and shoes had been found near the riverbank 19 days earlier. He suggested that the circumstances surrounding the student's death were suspicious.

In a post on social media platform X, Singh expressed his shock: "Ajit, from Kaphanwada village, had been sent to Russia by his family with great hopes and by pooling their hard-earned money to pursue medical studies. Today's news of Ajit's body being found in the river is utterly shocking. This is an extremely sorrowful moment for the Alwar family; in suspicious circumstances, we have lost a promising young boy."

He added that the family had been distraught since learning about the 22-year-old's disappearance and had been praying and making efforts for his safe return.

The Congress leader urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to assist in bringing Chaudhary's body back to India, emphasizing that "an untoward incident has occurred with the boy in suspicious circumstances; it must be investigated with complete seriousness."

The All India Medical Students' Association's Foreign Medical Students Wing has also contacted Jaishankar regarding this matter, stating that Chaudhary's classmates at the university had confirmed the identification of the body.

As of now, Bashkir State Medical University has not issued any statement regarding the student's death.