Sixteen Indian sailors serving aboard the merchant vessel MT Valiant Roar remain in the custody of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), prompting desperate appeals by one of the detainees’ family to Prime Minister Narendra Modifor immediate diplomatic intervention, ANI reported.
The Valiant Roar was intercepted by the IRGC on December 8, 2025, near Dibba Port in UAE international waters, after Iranian authorities accused the ship of smuggling around 6,000 metric tonnes of fuel.
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10 crew members arrested by Iranian authorities, claims kin
Family members of Third Engineer Ketan Mehta, one of the detained crew, said the last contact with him was on December 31, when he spoke briefly on phone and reassured them he was safe.
After losing his own phone, Ketan communicated with his parents through a colleague, oiler Pothi Diwakar. Later, the family learned that 10 crew members, including Ketan, had been formally arrested by Iranian officials.
Ketan’s father, Mukesh Mehta, expressed distress over the lack of updates from Indian authorities despite contacting the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Tehran.
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“The MEAasked for his passport details, which we provided immediately,” he said, “but since then there has been no clarity or reassurance.”
Ketan’s mother, Rajni Mehta, has not spoken to her son in over two weeks and is deeply worried about his safety in detention.
‘Our son is innocent’
The family’s emotional appeal to PM Modi underlines their fear that without swift government action, the situation could worsen. “Our son is innocent and was just doing his job,” Mukesh said.
“We beg the Prime Minister to use his diplomatic influence to bring our son back home before it’s too late,” he added.
An earlier report by The Print claimed that the Indian Embassy in Tehran has sought consular access for the crew members, however, it wasn’t yet granted. The crew are “free to leave” but remain on board “due to technical issues”, diplomatic sources had told the publication.
There is no official confirmation on the crew’s current whereabouts. |
