CHANDIGARH, 12 December 2024: The Russian government has begun the process of granting permanent residency (PR) to the family of Tejpal Singh, an Indian national killed while fighting for the Russian army in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on March 12.
Tejpal’s widow, Parminder Kaur, confirmed the development, stating that she had already been granted permanent residency. Additionally, her children—seven-year-old Armandeep Singh and four-year-old Gurnaazdeep Kaur—along with Tejpal’s parents, will also be granted PR upon their arrival in Russia.
Since March, the Russian government has provided a monthly allowance of Rs 20,000 each to Parminder’s children to cover their education and living expenses.
Returning from a three-month stay in Moscow this week, Parminder expressed concerns about the lack of information regarding the repatriation of her husband’s remains. She plans to return to Moscow in February to complete the remaining paperwork. The family is set to visit Russia in May, when the weather is more temperate. Upon Tejpal’s parents’ arrival in Russia, they will also begin receiving pensions from the government.
Although the family is not currently considering permanent settlement in Russia, Parminder stated they would continue to visit.
During her stay in Moscow, Parminder received help from a Goa-native couple who provided her accommodation and assisted with navigating the bureaucracy, including visiting the Russian army recruitment office to complete documentation. Parminder praised their support but expressed dissatisfaction with the Indian Embassy in Moscow, which she accused of failing to officially declare Tejpal as “killed in action” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Tejpal’s name, she said, remains on the missing persons list. Despite visiting the embassy three times, Parminder claimed she was only able to meet a senior officer once and received no further assistance during her stay.
A native of Chahal Khurd village in Batala, Parminder had worked in Cyprus and at Delhi Airport before her husband’s death. Tejpal, driven by his admiration for the military and a desire to provide for his family, had joined the Russian army, having previously been rejected by the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and Punjab Police.
Tejpal’s journey to Russia was carefully concealed. He initially traveled to Bangkok in December 2023 before flying to Moscow in January, where he cleared the Russian army’s medical and physical tests. Unfortunately, he was killed in combat on March 12, 2024.
