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Russian prosecutors overturned the decision to open a criminal investigation into Nikita Tulupov, an investigator in the case against blogger Valeria Chekalina, TASS reported. The case concerned jewelry worth 14.4 million rubles that authorities said went missing after being seized from Chekalina’s home; the reason for prosecutors’ reversal has not been reported.
Russian prosecutors have overturned the decision to open a criminal investigation into Nikita Tulupov, an investigator in the case against blogger Valeria Chekalina, TASS reported on October 9. The proposed investigation followed reports that jewelry worth 14.4 million rubles, seized from Chekalina’s home, had gone missing while in investigators’ custody.
The Interior Ministry had said that some jewelry taken during a search of Chekalina’s home was not entered as evidence in the criminal case and was stored improperly, resulting in its loss. Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said on Telegram that authorities had opened a criminal investigation into an investigator for allegedly exceeding his authority. She did not identify the investigator in her statement; the later TASS report named Nikita Tulupov as the investigator whose case was canceled.
The seized items included jewelry and watches from Cartier, Graff, Van Cleef & Arpels, Rolex and Chopard, among other brands. Their reported total value was 14.4 million rubles. The source reports that prosecutors reversed the decision to open the case, but does not say whether the jewelry has been found, returned, or otherwise accounted for.
Chekalina’s lawyer, Viktor Dugin, told TASS that after the investigation was completed, the defense asked for all the seized jewelry to be returned. He said the investigator refused, although the items were not physical evidence and no legal restrictions had been placed on them. That account is the lawyer’s description of the return request; the supplied reporting does not include a response from Tulupov or an explanation from prosecutors for canceling the criminal case.
Questions Over Seized Property
The reversal leaves unresolved how authorities handled property taken during a criminal investigation and whether anyone will be held accountable for its reported loss. The Interior Ministry’s description and the lawyer’s account both point to a dispute over the jewelry’s status: it was seized in a search, but, according to the ministry, was not formally entered as evidence.
For Chekalina, the matter concerns valuables that her lawyer says should have been returned after the investigation ended. For the public, it raises practical questions about record-keeping, storage and the return of seized assets. The available report does not establish that the jewelry was stolen, identify who may have been responsible for its loss, or say whether a separate review is underway.
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Chekalina’s Criminal Cases
Chekalina, known online as Lerchek, is a Russian blogger who appeared on Forbes’ list of the country’s highest-earning bloggers. In 2023, she and her then-husband, Artem Chekalin, faced charges of tax evasion and money laundering. Both cases were closed by March 2024, according to the report.
In October 2024, the former couple became subjects of a third criminal investigation concerning the alleged illegal transfer of funds out of Russia. Chekalina received a five-year suspended sentence and a 765 million-ruble fine in July 2026, while Artem Chekalin was sentenced in April 2026 to seven years in a medium-security prison. The missing jewelry issue arose from a search connected to the case against Valeria Chekalina.
The report also says Chekalina gave birth to her fourth child in February 2026. The following month, her partner, Luis Squicciarini, said she had been diagnosed with cancer; she was released from house arrest shortly afterward. These details are part of the wider legal timeline, but the available reporting does not link them to prosecutors’ decision about Tulupov.
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The Jewelry’s Status Remains Unknown
The report does not explain why prosecutors overturned the decision to open a criminal case against Tulupov, whether they found the initial allegations unsupported, or whether another inquiry could follow. It also does not say whether the jewelry has been located or returned to Chekalina.
The ministry described the items as lost after improper storage, while the lawyer said the investigator refused a return request. The supplied material does not include a response from Tulupov, a detailed account of the inventory or chain of custody, or an independent finding about what happened to the jewelry. The allegation of official misconduct should not be treated as an established finding against the investigator.
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Any Further Review or Recovery
The next developments to watch for are an explanation from prosecutors about their reversal, any statement from Tulupov, and information from authorities or Chekalina’s representatives on whether the jewelry has been recovered. The supplied report gives no timetable for further action and does not confirm that a separate investigation is continuing.
Until authorities provide more detail, the confirmed development is limited: prosecutors overturned the decision to open a criminal case against the investigator, while the reported loss and the jewelry’s current whereabouts remain unresolved.
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Key Questions
What did Russian prosecutors do?
They overturned the decision to open a criminal investigation into Nikita Tulupov, an investigator in the case against Valeria Chekalina, TASS reported.
Why had a case been opened against the investigator?
The Interior Ministry said jewelry seized from Chekalina’s home was not entered as evidence and was stored improperly, resulting in its loss. The ministry said an investigation had been opened over alleged exceeding of authority.
How much was the seized jewelry worth?
The reported total value was 14.4 million rubles. The items included jewelry and watches from Cartier, Graff, Van Cleef & Arpels, Rolex and Chopard, among other brands.
Has the jewelry been found or returned?
The available report does not say whether the jewelry has been recovered or returned to Chekalina. Its current whereabouts remain unclear.
Why did prosecutors cancel the case?
No reason was given in the supplied reporting. It also does not say whether authorities may conduct another review or investigation.
Source: rss
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