Himachal naval officer was held on a Russian tanker seized by the US a month before the wedding

A 26-year-old merchant navy officer from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, who is among three Indians arrested after a Russian-flagged oil tanker was seized by the US in the North Atlantic Ocean, is expected to get married on February 19, his family said.

Rakshit Chauhan, who joined the Merchant Navy on August 1 last year, was on his first naval assignment aboard the Marinera – a Russian-flagged tanker formerly known as the Bella 1 – when US authorities intercepted and seized the ship on January 7.

Speaking to reporters in Palampur, Rakshit’s distraught mother Reeta Devi appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for their urgent diplomatic intervention.

“Please ensure the safe return of my son Rakshit,” she said, adding that his wedding has been fixed for February 19 and the family is praying that he returns home before that date.

“We spoke to Rakshit for the last time on January 7 and pray to God for his safe return before that date,” she continued.

“We appeal to the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister to ensure the safe return of Rakshit and two others from Goa and Kerala, who are also crew members of the same ship,” she further said.

The tanker was en route as part of a Venezuela-related mission when it was stopped and later seized by the U.S. Coast Guard, reportedly amid broader efforts to enforce sanctions on oil shipments.

Rakshit’s father, Ranjit Singh Chauhan, said the family last spoke to him on the day of the seizure and had had no official updates on his condition or that of the other Indian crew members since.

Rakshit had joined a Russian company that sent him on his first naval assignment to Venezuela to fetch oil, but the ship was stopped at the border, his father said.

After waiting 10 days at the border, the company called the ship back when the US seized the vessel, he added.

Palampur MLA Ashish Butail sought details about Rakshit and assured that he would go to Shimla and discuss the matter with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the father said.

When seized, the tanker had 28 crew members, including three Indians, 20 Ukrainians, six Georgians and two Russians. All crew members are currently in custody.

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(with inputs from PTI)