Rikshit Chauhan, a young merchant Navy officer from Palampur in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, is among the three Indians who were part of the crew aboard a Russian-flagged oil tanker seized by the United States in the North Atlantic on January 7.
According to the family, they last spoke to him the day the vessel, named Marinera or Bella 1, was boarded by the US forces. According to reports, the oil tanker has evaded the US pursuit for almost two weeks.
The US authorities stated that they seized the tanker due to its alleged links to Venezuela. The vessel was reportedly chartered by a private trader and was named Bella 1.
The family of the 26-year-old said they last spoke to him on January 7.
The Russian-flagged oil tanker was seized on January 7 in the North Atlantic after the US forces tracked it from the Caribbean Sea. Its crew consisted of 28 people, including six citizens of Georgia, 17 from Ukraine, three from India, and two Russians.
Who is Rikshit Chauhan?
Rikshit Chauhan, a 26-year-old from Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, resides in Ward Number 7 of the city with his family. They are distressed and awaiting a word from him.
{{/usCountry}}Rikshit Chauhan, a 26-year-old from Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, resides in Ward Number 7 of the city with his family. They are distressed and awaiting a word from him.
{{/usCountry}}Rikshit has been in the merchant navy for the last three years and has been working for a Russian company for the past two years. The company sent him to Venezuela on an assignment to get oil, but the vessel was stopped at the border, his father told HT.
“We last spoke to him on January 7 at around 4 PM. After that, we have not been able to contact him. He told us not to worry and said there might be some connectivity issues, possibly because he knew the tanker would be seized. No government authority has contacted us so far, and we have no information about our son,” Ranjit Singh Chauhan said.
After waiting for 10 days at the border, the company called the ship back when the US seized the vessel, he said.
According to the father, Chauhan left home on August 1 and flew to Iran, where he boarded the tanker. The journey to Venezuela began in November.
“He used to call us daily, sometimes even three times a day,” he said, adding that the family wants him back safely.
His mother, Reeta Devi, said that Chauhan’s wedding was fixed for February 19 and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “ensure” her son's safe return.
"We appeal to the prime minister and the external affairs minister to ensure safe return of Rikshit and two others from Goa and Kerala who are also crew members of the same vessel," she told PTI.
The family has also brought the matter to the notice of local MLA Ashish Butail.
“We are aware of the matter, and the state government has already taken up this with the ministry of external affairs so that diplomatic efforts can be intensified for the safe return of the local youth,” Butail said.