Russia accuses Ukrainian nationalists of forcibly holding over 3,700 Indians
United Nations (PTI): Russia on Friday accused "Ukrainian nationalists" of "forcibly" holding over 3,700 Indian citizens in various cities, while saying the Russian military is doing everything to ensure the peaceful evacuation of foreign nationals.
Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia told an emergency UN Security Council meeting following the attack on the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant in Ukraine, that radicals and extremists in Ukraine were and are under the close guardianship and protection of Western nations.
"We urge you to calm down your mentees who in the worst traditions of ISIL terrorists and their Idlib associates are hiding behind civilians, placing heavy weaponry and multiple rocket launchers in residential areas.
He said these terrorists are preventing civilians wishing to leave the cities from doing so and this practice is affecting not only Ukrainians, but also foreign citizens.
The number of foreign nationals who are being forcibly held by Ukrainian nationalists is shocking. In Kharkiv, this includes 3,189 citizens of India, up to 2,700 citizens of Vietnam, 202 citizens of China. In Sumy, this includes 576 Indian citizens, 101 Ghanaian citizens and 121 Chinese citizens.
The Russian military is doing everything to ensure the peaceful evacuation of foreign nationals, he said adding that at various checkpoints 130 comfortable buses are standing ready in order to leave for Kharkiv and Sumy to rescue Indian students and other foreign citizens.
He said checkpoints have been equipped with temporary accommodations, rest facilities and hot meals and mobile medical stations have been deployed with stocks of medications. The evacuees will be later transported to Belgrade and subsequently brought home by air.
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Cordelia cruise case: Delhi HC gives nod to disciplinary action against Sameer Wankhede
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday gave its nod to the continuation of disciplinary proceedings against IRS officer Sameer Wankhede in connection with the 2021 Cordelia cruise drugs case.
A bench of Justices Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan allowed the Centre's plea against an order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) which quashed the disciplinary proceedings against Wankhede in the matter.
"This petition is allowed," said the bench while pronouncing the verdict.
A detailed copy of the verdict is awaited.
The central government challenged the CAT order passed on January 19, quashing the 'Charge Memorandum' issued to Wankhede on August 18, 2025, by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
Wankhede, a 2008 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, made headlines for allegedly demanding Rs 25 crore from Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's family by threatening to implicate his son Aryan Khan in the Cordelia cruise drug bust case during his tenure in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai in 2021.
Before the CAT, Wankhede filed an original application challenging the disciplinary inquiry against him by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs for allegedly seeking confidential information related to the probe from NCB's legal department after he was relieved from the agency.
It was also alleged that he sought an "assurance" from the NCB's legal officer to "steer the investigation" in the probe.
On January 12, the high court refused to interfere with an order of the CAT staying the disciplinary proceedings against Wankhede.
It had, however, asked the CAT to make "sincere efforts" to decide the main matter on January 14 or within the next 10 days.
