Russian couple’s big game in India: builds illegal empire through this... court swings into action!

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, a Russian couple has been embroiled in a controversy over their illegal property dealings. A court upheld an earlier order to seize their seven-story building, valued at over ₹29 crore, located in Vrindavan’s Raman Reti area. The property was reportedly constructed and profited from illegally, leading to the couple earning crores through renting and selling its units.

The couple, Natalia Krivonosova, also known as Nistha Rani Devidasi, and her husband, Yaroslav Romanov, alias Shyamsundar Charan Das, initially arrived in Vrindavan on tourist visas. They later established a trust and got involved in religious activities. However, investigations revealed that they misused the trust as a front for illegal real estate transactions.

Local residents raised complaints, prompting an inquiry. Authorities discovered that the couple used illegally acquired funds to build the property and rented and sold its units. In June 2023, then-District Magistrate Pulkit Khare ordered the building's seizure under the Gangsters Act. The couple contested the decision in court but failed to overturn it.

On Wednesday, Additional District and Sessions Judge Pallavi Agrawal upheld the seizure order, reaffirming the district administration's stance. According to Special Public Prosecutor Shailendra Kumar Gautam, the couple’s activities constituted fraud, and the seizure of the property, spread over 1,412.72 square meters, was deemed appropriate.

The case highlights the misuse of religious trust structures and the exploitation of local resources for illegal gains. The property, referred to locally as the “Russian Building,” will now be confiscated as per court orders.