A 26-year-old merchant navy officer from Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district was among the three Indians aboard a Russian-flagged tanker seized recently by the US, his family said on Sunday and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure his safe return to India. ADVERTISEMENT"Please ensure safe return of my son Rakshit," Reeta Devi appealed to the prime minister. "We talked to Rakshit for the last time on January 7 and are praying to God for his safe return before that date," she lamented. After waiting for 10 days at the border, the company called the ship back when the US seized the vessel, he said. The vessel had 28 crew members, including three Indians, 20 Ukrainians, six Georgians and two Russians when it was seized and all crew members are currently under detention.

Source: The Telegraph January 11, 2026 18:35 UTC