Rikshit Chauhan, a 26-year-old merchant navy officer from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, was detained last week after the Russian-flagged oil tanker he was serving on, the Marinera (formerly Bella 1), was seized by US forces in the North Atlantic. Rikshit, along with two other Indian crew members, had been on his first sea assignment, sent to Venezuela by his Russian employer to transport oil.
The vessel’s interception followed a prolonged maritime pursuit that began in the Caribbean Sea and stretched into the North Atlantic. At the time of the seizure, the tanker had 28 crew members: three Indians, 20 Ukrainians, six Georgians, and two Russians. While the two Russian crew members were released on Sunday, the remaining crew, including Rikshit, remain detained.
Rikshit’s family is deeply worried, as his wedding was scheduled for February 19. Speaking to NDTV from Palampur, his mother, Reeta Devi, appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the External Affairs Minister for her son’s safe return. “We last spoke to Rikshit on January 7, hours before the vessel was seized. We are praying he comes back before his wedding,” she said. His father, Ranjit Singh, explained that the company had called the crew to return from Venezuela due to escalating US military actions, but the tanker was intercepted before reaching safe waters.
Local authorities are actively involved, with Palampur MLA seeking updates and assuring action with the state government. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that India is closely monitoring the situation and verifying details regarding its nationals aboard the vessel.
This incident underscores the increasing risks faced by merchant navy personnel working in international waters, especially amid geopolitical tensions, and has drawn attention to the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to secure the safe return of the detained crew members.
