Kanpur, UP: A Kanpur-based engineer who returned to India after spending nearly 48 hours in Russian police custody has alleged that he and a friend were abused, threatened and tortured, saying the experience left him traumatised and unwilling to work abroad again.

Chandan Gupta, 45, a resident of Yashoda Nagar, returned to Kanpur with his wife and 10-year-old son on Thursday. He had been living in Moscow with his family since 2023 and working for Noida-based multinational packaging company UFlex Ltd on a highly qualified visa, according to his family.

Gupta said he was detained by Moscow police on September 5 on allegations that he was under the influence of alcohol and had broken the window of an ambulance. He denied both charges and claimed that police did not show him any evidence to support the allegations.

"I have no intention of going back to Russia for work. In fact, I will never even consider going abroad again," Gupta told reporters in Kanpur on Saturday while recounting his experience.

According to Gupta, he had gone for a walk with friends after dinner on September 5. He and his friend Ashish were heading towards the Kitay-Gorod metro station after passing through the Hanging Bridge and Red Square when Russian police detained them.

"They tied one hand of each of us and took us to a police vehicle parked a few hundred metres away. They took our mobile phones, passports and other documents. We repeatedly asked why we were being detained, but they did not tell us," he alleged.

Gupta said the police later accused them of breaking an ambulance window and being drunk.

"I asked them when and where I had broken the ambulance glass. They did not show me any photograph or video. They also said I was drunk, but I had not consumed alcohol," Gupta said.

He alleged that the police vehicle drove around for nearly an hour before taking them to a police station. He and Ashish were allegedly not allowed to contact their families or meet anyone.

Gupta also claimed that the police did not provide a translator despite the language barrier.

He alleged that the officers pushed and threatened them and that Ashish was taken to a separate room and beaten with sticks after repeatedly asking why they had been detained.

Before their release, the Russian police allegedly made the two men sign several documents.

"They told us to write whatever they instructed us to write. I was threatened that although I was being released, I could be detained again and police could seek a longer remand if I did not comply," Gupta alleged.

Gupta said his employer later arranged lawyers who helped secure their release.

"I was scared that if I stayed in Moscow, I could be implicated in another case. That is why I decided to return to India with my family," he said.

A day after his detention, Gupta’s wife Sneha shared a video on social media appealing to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for help in securing his release.

Sneha, 40, said she and her 10-year-old son were in Moscow when her husband was allegedly taken away by police around 12:30 am despite, according to her, having done nothing wrong.

She also questioned the Indian Embassy in Moscow’s handling of the matter. Gupta alleged that no embassy official contacted him during his nearly 48 hours in custody, despite his wife’s appeal for government assistance through social media.

"What hurts me most is that the Indian Embassy issued information based on the Russian police version without hearing my side," Gupta alleged.

Sneha also questioned the basis of the allegations against her husband.

"If Chandan had consumed alcohol, was he medically examined? If he had broken the ambulance window, where is the photograph or video? Where was the ambulance and where was my husband at that time?" she asked.

"The Indian Embassy should clarify its position and the incident should be investigated," she said.

The Indian Embassy in Moscow had earlier said Gupta was detained by Russian police and accused of being under the influence of alcohol and breaking the windows of an ambulance parked nearby.

Sneha said the family felt safer after returning to India.

"I have complete faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. I believe the Indian government will ensure the safety of its citizens," she said.