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

"My husband was made the scapegoat," Ritu Pant said, defending her husband, Ajay Pant, the Indian captain of an oil tanker seized by British commandos in the English Channel.

The 38-year-old captain is facing sanctions charges in Britain over allegations that the vessel he was on was part of Russia’s shadow fleet, but his wife told news agency AFP that he was doing his job and was “at the wrong place at the wrong time".

British authorities reportedly allege that the tanker is linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet — ships often operating through complex ownership and insurance arrangements that are accused of helping Moscow move oil despite sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine.

The merchant navy officer from Uttarakhand's Nainital is accused of breaching sanctions and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

What the British side claims

MV Smyrtos, the oil tanker that was captained by Pant, was stopped on June 14 in an operation involving British commandos who descended from a helicopter onto the vessel. The mission was the first of its kind led by Britain and was described by then-prime minister Keir Starmer as a “blow to Russia”.

The vessel had left Russia’s Ust-Luga port on June 5 and was sailing towards Egypt’s Port Said, according to MarineTraffic. It was carrying roughly 98,000 tonnes of oil when British forces intercepted it.

Pant, who was the vessel’s captain, is accused of having knowledge of the cargo. Prosecutors have described him as the “master of the ship” and argued that his awareness of the cargo is central to the sanctions case.

His wife, however, said a captain's job is primarily to ensure that the cargo reaches its destination safely. “The master's responsibility in any vessel is to just get the cargo safely to its destination,” she said, AFP reported.

His defence has argued that he was acting on instructions from the vessel’s owner and had no role in determining the commercial arrangements surrounding the cargo.

Wife says ‘he was broken, crying’

Pant has remained in British custody after being denied bail. For his family back in India, the circumstances of his arrest have been difficult to comprehend.

Ritu said her husband sounded devastated when she first spoke to him after his arrest. “He was broken and he was just crying,” she said.

“He didn't know what had happened to him... He just said, ‘I am in jail, please take me out’," she was quoted as saying by AFP.

Just days before his arrest, he had spoken to her about the dangers at sea after Indian sailors were killed around the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict in the Middle East.

“He said that the sea is becoming very difficult now,” Ritu said. “I was just praying, and telling him that, 'just be calm, be careful and just keep contacting us'.”

Now, his mother Deepa is appealing to the Indian government to intervene.

Pant is the only crew member from the ship to face charges. The other 24 sailors have largely been sent back to their home countries, while the Smyrtos remains anchored off the southern English coast.

His trial is due to begin on December 15.

Case and its implications

Anwar Sadat of the Indian Society of International Law said the case presented “complex” legal issues. The prosecution is also being closely watched because it is believed to be the first instance in Europe of sanctions-related criminal charges being brought against a tanker captain rather than focusing only on the vessel or its owners.

David Hammond of Human Rights at Sea International said the outcome could have consequences beyond Pant himself.

“The case carries implications far beyond the fate of a single ship, its cargo or its master,” he wrote in an analysis for Lloyd's List Intelligence.

The issue carries particular weight for India, which has more than 3,20,000 seafarers working across the global merchant shipping industry.

Govt keeping close watch

The Indian government has been keeping a close watch on the case through the Indian High Commission in London, according to a statement released in June.

In a letter to Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the High Commission shared an update on Pant’s case, according to an official release reported by news agency PTI.

Indian officials first established contact with Pant through the prison’s telephone system on June 19. During the conversation, Pant said he was in good health, had access to medical care and was regularly in touch with his wife.