A Red Corner notice has been issued against Russian national Viktoriia Basu , who allegedly left India with her minor son last year after the Supreme Court granted joint custody to both parents, Delhi Police told the Saket court on Thursday.
Police also informed the court that they had sought her extradition through the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy in Moscow. The vehicle reportedly took her to the India-Nepal border in Bihar, from where she travelled to Russia via Sharjah. Police had also submitted evidence alleging that two Russian embassy officials, Albert Shtoda and Arthur Gerbst, helped arrange a vehicle for Viktoriia when she went missing on July 7.
What is the case about?
On Thursday, Delhi Police filed a status report before Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Deepakshi Rana. Viktoriia, who came to India in 2019, approached the court in 2023 seeking full custody of her son after the marriage broke down. However, on July 7 that year, her husband informed the court that she had gone missing with their son.
After attempts to reconcile the couple failed, the Supreme Court approved a shared-custody arrangement in May, allowing each parent to spend three days a week with the child. It also extended Viktoriia’s visa and directed Delhi Police to keep her residence under watch. This led to a search by law enforcement agencies and intervention by the MEA. The request seeks to trace Viktoriia, the main accused in the FIR registered on the basis of Saikat Basu’s complaint.
Seeking more time, police told the court that a formal extradition request had been sent to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for action through the MEA and the Indian embassy in Moscow.
The matter is pending before the Saket District Court.
