“MEA Rejects Reports on Indians Seeking Discharge from Russian Army, Asserts Strong Pursuit with Russian Authorities”

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has refuted media reports claiming that Indians with the Russian Army are seeking discharge, asserting that each case has been strongly pursued with Russian authorities. The reports suggested that Indians working as security helpers in the Russian military were allegedly forced to engage in combat along Russia’s border with Ukraine. The Ministry stated that inaccurate reports have circulated and emphasized that every case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been addressed with Russian authorities, resulting in several discharges.

In a separate development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Niranjan Hiranandani and his son Darshan Hiranandani, the promoters of the Hiranandani Group, for questioning in a foreign exchange violation case. The father-son duo has been asked to depose at the ED’s Mumbai office, and they may choose to submit their initial responses through a representative. The summons follows ED raids on four premises linked to the Hiranandani Group under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) provisions. The ED is investigating alleged receipt of funds exceeding ₹400 crore through the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) route for housing projects in Panvel and Chennai. One of the group entities that received FDI funds reportedly did not repay loans from a consortium of banks, leading to its classification as a Non-Performing Asset.