‘We know how many hotels you …’: Russian YouTuber alleges harassment at Delhi FRRO

Russian influencer and YouTuber Kristina Kumar

A Russian influencer and YouTuber, who has been staying in Delhi on an X1 visa, has alleged harassment during a visit to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) last week. X1 visa is an entry visa for Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) who do not possess an Overseas Citizen of India card.

According to a report by The Times of India, the 26-year-old woman, Kristina Kumar, said she visited the FRRO to submit documents for her visa extension on September 26. During her visit, Kumar, who has been living in Delhi for a year with her Indian boyfriend, alleged she faced "demeaning" behaviour from two women officials. Videos detailing her experience were widely circulated on social media, drawing significant attention to the case.

विदेश मंत्री @DrSJaishankar और @AmbRus_India@RusEmbIndia को तत्काल संज्ञान लेना चाहिए.... pic.twitter.com/xNPy2k77ds

— कल्पना श्रीवास्तव 🇮🇳 (@Lawyer_Kalpana) September 30, 2025

"When I visited the office last week with my boyfriend, they were polite. But on Friday, when I entered room 303 alone to submit my papers, they started asking me personal questions," Kumar was quoted by TOI as saying.

She claimed the officials posed questions she felt were irrelevant to the visa process. Feeling uneasy with the ‘intrusive’ queries, Kumar messaged her boyfriend about her discomfort.

"They (officials) saw me messaging and demanded to check my phone. I felt I shouldn't refuse, so I handed over my phone. Then they started to read my chats, including with a man from my gym who helps me shoot videos. They asked me, ‘Why are you talking to him when you have a boyfriend?'," she alleged.

Talking to TOI about how uncomfortable she felt, Kumar alleged, "The officials started telling me that they know what I do and how many hotels I have stayed in. They asked me how much I earned in a month. It made me extremely uncomfortable as the officials were indirectly implying that I am an escort."

Kumar stated she was so disturbed by the incident that she considered applying for an exit permit to leave India

"I was deeply disturbed, not just by the inappropriate questions, but also by the fact that they came from officials in charge of my visa extension. I even considered applying for an exit permit," she said.

Kumar has approached the Russian Embassy and has also written to the head of FRRO, asking for a review of the employees' conduct.

FRRO's response

A senior FRRO official denied the allegations, stating that the personal questions were part of a routine inquiry due to irregularities found in Kumar's documents. The official stated that the questions were aimed at clarifying her living situation and other issues related to her application.