Citing messages received from those trapped, lawyers for the families said, “We are trapped in Russia. We are unwillingly waging a war against Ukraine for a foreign state.” Responding to this, Mehta told the court that the matter would be investigated and asked for time. The bench took note of this and said that it had already asked the government to look into the issue.The plea filed by family members said the 26 Indians had traveled to Russia on valid visas after being promised jobs by recruitment agents, some as tourists, some as students. But once there, their passports were taken away, their movements were restricted and they were intimidated and pushed to join military units attached to the Russian armed forces.The families said the last messages they received, mostly between September and October 2025, showed they were in or near active conflict areas such as Kupyansk, Selidov, Makiivka and Chelyabinsk. They had expressed fear and said that they could not leave the areas where they were deployed. In many cases, contact has since been lost, and families do not know their current status or whereabouts.The petition also said that despite repeated requests to authorities including the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy in Moscow, the Home Ministry and state governments, the families have not received clear information or effective help. The petition cited Article 32 of the Constitution to argue that it is the duty of the government to protect Indian citizens even outside the country, especially when they cannot protect themselves. It also raised concerns about illegal recruitment networks that target vulnerable people with false job promises and send them abroad.