The Supreme Court on Friday directed the government to appoint a nodal officer to assist the families of Indian casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war. This officer will assist the families in retrieving bodies, DNA matching, and securing compensation through the Russian Embassy.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana also directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to assist the families of those killed or missing in the Russia-Ukraine war and facilitate DNA matching between the bodies and family members of the victims. The bench also asked the Ministry of External Affairs to assist the affected families in claiming compensation at the Russian Embassy here and provide all necessary information and updates in local languages.
The bench also directed
the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and state legal services authorities to assist families in the process of retrieving the bodies of their relatives and securing compensation. The Supreme Court issued these directions while hearing a petition filed by families of individuals who were allegedly killed or missing after being recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Many of these individuals were deceived by travel agents into fighting in the war.