The wife of an Indian merchant navy captain facing sanctions charges in the UK over alleged Russian oil violations has said he has been made a “scapegoat”. Ajay Pant, 38, from Ramnagar in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district, was arrested in June after British forces intercepted the oil tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel.

He has been charged with sanctions offences relating to the alleged supply or delivery of prohibited Russian oil or oil products to a third country. The offences carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Pant denies wrongdoing. His trial is due to begin on 15 December, according to AFP.

“My husband just became the scapegoat,” his wife, Ritu Pant, 36, told the agency on Saturday. “He was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Why Was Ajay Pant Held?

British commandos boarded the Smyrtos on 14 June after fast-roping from a helicopter as the tanker travelled through the English Channel. The then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the operation as a “blow to Russia”.

The vessel is alleged to be part of Russia’s so-called shadow or ghost fleet – a network of ships with unclear ownership and insurance that is accused of helping Moscow evade oil sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

According to MarineTraffic data cited by AFP, the Smyrtos had left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on 5 June and was heading for Port Said in Egypt.

Court proceedings said the tanker was carrying about 98,000 tonnes of oil.

UK prosecutors allege that Pant, as the ship’s master, had knowledge of the cargo and was responsible for its movement. His lawyer has argued that he was “simply following orders” as an employee of the vessel’s owner.

His wife also said the captain’s role was limited to ensuring that the cargo reached its destination safely. “The master’s responsibility in any vessel is to just get the cargo safely to its destination,” she said.

‘I am in Jail, Please Take Me Out’

Pant has been denied bail and remains in custody. His wife said he was distressed during his first telephone call from custody. “He was crying and told me: ‘I am in jail, please take me out’,” she told AFP.

Pant is the only member of the Smyrtos crew to have been charged. Most of the other 24 crew members have returned home, while the tanker remains anchored off England’s southern coast.

The case has raised questions about the extent to which sanctions laws can be applied to individual seafarers working on vessels suspected of carrying sanctioned goods.

Anwar Sadat of the Indian Society of International Law described the case as raising “complex” legal questions.

It is believed to be the first time a European country has brought sanctions-violation charges against the captain of such a vessel rather than targeting only the ship or its owners, AFP reported.

Concerns for Other Seafarers

The case has prompted concern among seafarers that they could become caught up in disputes between countries over sanctions.

Steve Yandell, coordinator of the seafarers’ section of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, told AFP that sailors may not always know that a vessel is carrying sanctioned oil. He said they risk being “stuck in the middle” of geopolitical conflicts.

India has more than 320,000 seafarers and is a major part of the global merchant shipping workforce.

Indian tanker captain Sanket Joshi described Pant’s arrest as “very alarming”, saying it was probably the first time a captain had been arrested over commercial matters rather than a safety issue.

Pant had told his wife shortly before his arrest that working at sea was becoming increasingly difficult. “He said that the sea is becoming very difficult now,” Ritu Pant told AFP.

India Provides Consular Support

The Ministry of External Affairs said consular officials had visited Pant to check on his wellbeing, according to AFP. The Indian High Commission in London has been monitoring the case and seeking consular access, PTI reported.

Officials told the Uttarakhand government in June that Pant was being held in judicial custody at HMP Winchester. During a visit on 19 June, he said he was in good health, receiving medical care and regularly speaking to his wife, according to PTI.

The High Commission has also been in contact with Pant’s wife, lawyers and his employer, Energios Maritime Private Limited, which has promised legal assistance and support for his family.

Pant’s mother, Deepa, has appealed to the Indian government to intervene. “I just want to plead to the government, with folded hands, to get my son back home,” she told AFP.