The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Union government to designate a nodal officer within the Ministry of External Affairs to support Indian families whose relatives were killed, injured, or went missing while fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana issued a series of directives aimed at streamlining relief for impacted households. As part of these measures, the court instructed the ministry to coordinate DNA matching between family members and recovered mortal remains.
Legal Aid And Compensation Support
The bench mandated that the Ministry of External Affairs assist affected families in preparing and filing compensation claims with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi. To ensure seamless communication, the court required all official updates and relevant details to be communicated to relatives in their regional languages.
Furthermore, the National Legal Services Authority and various state legal services authorities were directed to provide legal assistance. These bodies will support families in retrieving the bodies of their deceased relatives and pursuing financial compensation claims.
Recruitment Through Deceptive Travel Agents
The rulings came during proceedings on a petition submitted by family members of victims who vanished or died after being inducted into the conflict zone. The plea highlighted that several individuals were fraudulently recruited by fraudulent travel agents before being forced into combat roles in the ongoing war.
