A day after Rakesh Maurya’s body reached his home, thousands of kilometres away from his place of death, his family is grappling with questions over his death, the role of Indian authorities, and the nature of Russia’s relationship with India. Maurya, who hailed from Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar, went to Russia in August, reportedly for studies, and was enlisted in the Russian army. In September, his family lost contact with him and wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), seeking his return to India. His brother Deepu had tried to contact the Indian embassy in Russia and was hopeful of his return. The family had earlier said that 30-year-old Rakesh, a BTech graduate, informed them that he had been recruited into the Russian army and was being sent for military training. A day after his body reached their home and was cremated, Rakesh’s brother questioned the authorities for failing to save their citizen. “The media asked the Russian authorities about the men serving in the army there, and they responded diplomatically. We thought …