Jai Ram Thakur meets parents of ‘abducted’ sailor in Kangra

However, he also said the efforts of the state alone were not sufficient to bridge the communication gap between the family and officials of the MEA in Delhi.

The seized tanker, Marinera — earlier named Bella 1 — was chartered by a private trader and was reportedly carrying crude oil linked to Venezuela. It was en route to Russia when it was intercepted by the US Coast Guard, reportedly in connection with sanctions-related violations.

Rikshit’s father, a clerk in the revenue department in Palampur, had told The Indian Express that the family last heard from Rikshit on January 7, just days before news of the seizure of the tanker.

“My son called me on WhatsApp and told me that he would not be able to contact us for the next one to one-and-a-half months as the ship was heading towards a heavily snow-covered sea zone where communication signals usually remain suspended,” Chauhan said. “He specifically asked me not to worry if he did not call during that period. I took it lightly. However, two days later, I came to know through media reports that the ship… had been seized and the crew detained.”