A 26-year-old Indian merchant navy officer, Rikshit Chauhan, from Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, was preparing to return home for his wedding next month when the Russian-flagged oil tanker he was serving on was seized by United States forces in the North Atlantic last week.
Chauhan, one of three Indian crew members aboard the tanker Marinera (earlier known as Bella 1), has since been detained along with most of the ship’s crew. Following the incident, his family has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and ensure his safe return to India.
Indian Was On His First Sea Assignment
According to family members, Chauhan was on his first sea assignment with a Russian company and had been sent to Venezuela. They last spoke to him on January 7, just hours before the vessel was intercepted after a prolonged maritime chase that reportedly began in the Caribbean Sea and continued into the North Atlantic.
Speaking to reporters in Palampur, Chauhan’s mother Reeta Devi said her son’s wedding is scheduled for February 19 and urged the prime minister to facilitate his early return. The family also appealed for assistance for the two other Indian crew members from Goa and Kerala who were on board the same vessel.
Chauhan’s father, Ranjit Singh, said his son had joined the merchant navy on August 1. During their last conversation, Chauhan reportedly told the family that the crew had been instructed to leave Venezuela amid escalating US military action in the region and that communication might be disrupted. The family later learnt on January 10 that the ship had been seized.
Palampur MLA Seeks Details
Meanwhile, the local MLA from Palampur has sought details of the case and said he would raise the matter with the Himachal Pradesh chief minister. At the national level, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week that India was closely monitoring the situation and was seeking more information about the Indian nationals on board.
At the time of its seizure, the tanker had 28 crew members, including three Indians, 20 Ukrainians, six Georgians and two Russians. While the two Russian crew members were released on Sunday, the remaining crew members continue to be under detention.
