Indian merchant navy officer held weeks before wedding as US seizes Russian tanker

Three Indians were part of the crew of a Russian-flagged oil tanker that was seized by the United States forces in the North Atlantic last week.

One of them is Rikshit Chauhan, a merchant navy officer from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, who was due to return home shortly for his wedding next month.

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His family has now appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and ensure his safe return to India.

Why crew has been detained

The 26-year-old was one of three Indian crew members aboard the vessel Marinera (earlier known as Bella 1), which was intercepted following a prolonged maritime pursuit that reportedly began in the Caribbean Sea and continued into the North Atlantic, near Iceland. The identities of the other two are not known yet.

This operation was part of a broader US pressure campaign following the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces just days earlier as the US looks to control the Latin American country's oil trade. While the Marinera was reportedly empty at the time of its seizure, it was designated as part of a "shadow fleet" or "dark fleet" used to transport oil for sanctioned nations, including Venezuela, Russia, and Iran, in violation of US trade embargoes.

Although the ship was flying a Russian flag, the US has deemed it "stateless". It has argued that the vessel had recently engaged in a "fraudulent" change of flag and name (from Bella-1 to Marinera) mid-voyage to evade the US maritime blockade.

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Mother's emotional appeal

Chauhan had been sent to Venezuela on his first sea assignment by his Russian employer. His family said they last spoke to him hours before the ship was seized by US forces on January 7 after the long chase.

“Please ensure the safe return of my son, Rikshit,” his mother, Reeta Devi, appealed to the prime minister.

Speaking to reporters in Palampur, she said her son’s wedding is scheduled for February 19. “We last spoke to Rikshit on January 7 and are praying for his safe return before that date,” she said.

She also urged the prime minister and the external affairs minister to secure the return of Rikshit and two other Indian crew members from Goa and Kerala who were on the same vessel.

Father recounts last conversation

His father, Ranjit Singh, told NDTV that Rikshit had joined the merchant navy on August 1, 2025.

“During our last conversation, Rikshit said he was fine but mentioned that it might not be possible to stay in touch for some time. He told us the company had asked them to return from Venezuela due to America’s military action there,” Singh said.

“We learnt on January 10 that our son’s ship had been seized,” he added.

According to Singh, Rikshit had joined a Russian company which sent him to Venezuela to transport oil on his first assignment. The vessel was stopped near the border and, after waiting there for 10 days, was called back by the company before being seized by US forces.

Centre assures support

Meanwhile, the Palampur MLA has sought details of the case and assured the family that he would raise the matter with the chief minister in Shimla.

Last week, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was closely monitoring the situation and was working to ascertain further details about the Indian nationals on board the tanker.

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The vessel had 28 crew members at the time of seizure, including three Indians, 20 Ukrainians, six Georgians and two Russians. Even though Russia denounced the US move as "outright piracy" and a "gross violation" of international maritime law, US President Donald Trump agreed to release two Russian crew members following a diplomatic request from Moscow. They were released on Sunday.

The seizure was authorized by a US federal court warrant. According to reports in international media, the crew may face criminal charges for failing to comply with Coast Guard orders during the weeks-long pursuit that began in the Caribbean.