‘My husband became scapegoat’: Wife of Indian captain held in UK over ‘Russia shadow fleet’ case

The wife of an Indian oil tanker captain, arrested in the UK over alleged involvement with Russia's 'shadow fleet,' believes her husband has been unfairly made a scapegoat. Ritu Pant is defending her husband, Ajay Pant, the captain of the MV Smyrtos, which was seized by British commandos in the English Channel on June 14.

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My husband just became the scapegoat.

British authorities accuse the tanker of being linked to Russia's 'shadow fleet' – vessels allegedly used to transport Russian oil despite international sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. These ships often operate through complex ownership and insurance structures. Captain Pant, a 38-year-old officer from Nainital, faces sanctions charges in Britain and could be imprisoned for up to 10 years if convicted.

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He was doing his job and was 'at the wrong place at the wrong time'.

Ritu Pant told AFP that her husband was simply doing his job and found himself "at the wrong place at the wrong time." She emphasized that a captain's primary responsibility is to ensure the safe delivery of cargo, not to oversee the commercial arrangements. His defense team argues that he was following instructions from the vessel's owner and had no control over the cargo's commercial aspects.

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The master's responsibility in any vessel is to just get the cargo safely to its destination.

She recounted a devastating phone call with her husband after his arrest, describing him as "broken and crying" and pleading to be taken out of jail. Pant had recently spoken to her about the increasing dangers at sea, particularly after Indian sailors were killed in the Middle East. His mother, Deepa, is now appealing for his release.

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He was broken and he was just crying.