Russian embassy officer helped woman flee: Cops

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has informed Supreme Court that Russian embassy counsellor (head of consular division) Arthur Gerbst had actively helped Viktoriia Basu flee the country unauthorisedly, taking her son born from her marriage to an Indian, by arranging a taxi which took her to Narkatiaganj (Bihar) from where she went to Kathmandu.

It said another Kathmandu-based Russian arranged for her entry into the Nepal capital in the first week of July, from where she took a flight to Sharjah (UAE), from where she took off for Moscow. An SC bench led by Justice Surya Kant had taken strong exception to the Russian woman, Viktoriia, illegally taking the child out of the country in breach of SC orders and, at its insistence, the Indian embassy initiated the process for her repatriation to Delhi.

Pursuing Interpol notice against Russian woman, says Delhi Police
Status report of Delhi Police, placed by additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, stated that Gerbst had asked one Vivian Sehgal to initially arrange for a taxi to Sanauli in UP. Later, he asked for a taxi to Narkatiaganj which Sehgal booked through KTC (India) Ltd.

Police said Gerbst paid Rs 75,000 in cash towards taxi fare. Viktoriia and her minor child were received at Narkatiaganj by one Sameer Ansari, alias Munna, who helped them cross the India-Nepal border.

A notice was issued to Air Arabia, which the Russian woman took to reach Sharjah, for details of immigration, and details of the person who booked the tickets for her and her son, the mode of payment to establish the digital banking trail of people involved in arranging their onward journey and facilitating illegal removal of the minor child from India in violation of SC orders, police said.

Delhi Police said Interpol blue corner notice issued against her is being actively pursued with agencies concerned for immediate action on any information/clue regarding the whereabouts of the woman and her child.

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