Gurdaspur: A pall of grief descended over Bohja village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district as the mortal remains of 24-year-old Gursewak Singh reached home nearly nine months after he reportedly lost his life while serving in the Russian military under unclear circumstances.
The young man had left for Germany in early 2025 on a work permit, hoping to support his financially struggling family and build a better future. His relatives say they had arranged money for his travel by borrowing heavily from friends and extended family members.
What followed, however, remains a painful mystery.
According to family members, Gursewak somehow became linked to the Russian military after reaching Europe. They claim he had been assured that he would be assigned non-combat duties at a secure military base, but later found himself trapped in active conflict conditions.
His brother said the family last spoke to him through a video call in September 2025, after which all communication abruptly stopped.
For months, the family repeatedly approached both state and central authorities, writing letters and seeking information about his whereabouts, but received no clear response.
Around 25 days ago, they were informed by Indian authorities that Gursewak had died and that DNA verification would be required to formally identify his remains.
Already burdened by debt, the family reportedly had to sell their house to arrange money for the DNA testing process and related formalities needed to bring his body back to India.
On Friday, officials informed the family that his remains had arrived in Delhi. They were later transported to Bohja village, where mourners gathered in large numbers to pay their last respects.
The family said Russian authorities had issued an official death certificate and that Gursewak was given military honors before his body was repatriated.
His final rites were performed at the village cremation ground on Saturday in an atmosphere of deep sorrow, as relatives and villagers questioned how a young man who had left in search of work ended up losing his life on foreign soil.
