My nephew was framed, says Indian businessman's uncle

MOSCOW: An Indian businessman arrested in October in Russia on the charges of offering bribe to local immigration official was framed, his uncle has said and sought Indian embassy's help for his release.

Uttam Kumar Mandal, 38, was detained on October 26 while paying 100 thousand roubles (nearly $3,200) bribe to an immigration official to get the Russian citizenship through fast track. Later, he was remanded to two-month judicial custody on the grounds that he may leave the country, according to the Russian authorities

According Uttam Kumar's uncle, Tapan Kumar Mandal, a Moscow-based businessman, his nephew was manager of chain of six drugstores in Saratov, owned by him and was employed on temporary work permit which expired on December 1.

Mandal claims that his nephew, who has a degree in mining engineering from Ukraine, was 'provoked' to pay the bribe by a man Maxim who had fixed a meeting with the local immigration officer.

However, under the current Russian laws Uttam Kumar, who was living with a Russian woman, but was not officially married to her, was not eligible even for applying for the citizenship.

"My nephew, who is the only bread winner for his mother after his father's death, fell victim to a conspiracy," Tapan said.

Tapan said the same man, who fixed his nephew's meeting with the immigration officer, hired a local lawyer who convinced him that it would be good if he confessed of committing the crime for a lenient sentence.

"On the basis of Uttam's confession his arrest was granted by the Saratov Regional Court, which rejected my request for bail," Tapan said.

He underscored that by obtaining confession in such a way, his nephew has been deprived of the right to appeal in the higher court as under the Russian laws it is banned to 'provoke' someone for giving a bribe.

In his state of the nation address to the parliament on November 30, President Dmitry Medvedev also mentioned about the 'criminal trade' of middlemen around the courts and other government agencies, 'who know how to solve any issue and how much to pay to whom for this.'

The uncle of Indian arrested is interested in the law to take its own course, but he wants the Indian embassy's help in seeking the release of his nephew from the prison on bail.