Indian captain’s wife calls husband scapegoat as UK sanctions case proceeds
Ajay Pant, an Indian merchant navy captain, remains detained in Britain after authorities seized the sanctioned tanker Smyrtos, and his wife says he is being made a scapegoat.
In mid-June, Royal Marines and the National Crime Agency intercepted the tanker Smyrtos, suspected of belonging to Russia’s opaque “shadow fleet,” and detained its captain, Ajay Pant, in the United Kingdom. Pant, 38, is charged under UK sanctions rules that allow a maximum ten-year term, and his trial is scheduled for 15 December. His wife, Ritu Pant, 36, described him as a scapegoat who happened to be at the wrong location, noting his distress during their first phone call after his detention.
Prosecutors allege Pant knew the cargo comprised roughly 98,000 tonnes of Russian oil, while his defence maintains he was merely executing the vessel owner’s directives. The legal battle, including a bail denial and a pending motion to dismiss the charges, could influence how European nations hold individual ship captains accountable for sanctions evasion, a concern for India’s large merchant-seafarer community.
Why it matters
The case could reshape legal responsibility for ship captains caught in sanctions disputes, affecting thousands of seafarers worldwide.
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