Indian captain 'scapegoat' in shadow-fleet case, wife says

Ritu Pant has said her husband, Indian tanker captain Ajay Pant, is being made a scapegoat as he awaits trial in Britain on sanctions offences linked to the oil tanker Smyrtos.

Pant, 38, is in custody and faces charges that carry a maximum 10-year prison sentence. British commandos intercepted the sanctioned tanker in the English Channel on June 14.

Ritu Pant told AFP that her husband was “at the wrong place at the wrong time” and said he was struggling in custody after being denied bail.

The prosecution's case is that Pant was the “master of the ship” and had knowledge of cargo amounting to about 98,000 tonnes of oil. Pant's lawyer said at a court hearing that he was “simply following orders” as an employee of the vessel's owner.

The Smyrtos sailed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga on June 5, with Egypt's Port Said listed as its destination, according to MarineTraffic. Britain’s then-prime minister Keir Starmer described the interception as a “blow to Russia”.

Pant's trial is scheduled to begin on December 15. Anwar Sadat of the Indian Society of International Law said the case raised complex legal questions, while David Hammond of Human Rights at Sea International wrote that it could test how far Western governments use criminal sanctions enforcement against seafarers as well as vessel operators.

India's foreign ministry said consular officials had visited Pant to enquire about his wellbeing. Pant was the only sailor on board charged, while most of the other 24 crew members have since been repatriated. The vessel remains anchored off England's southern coast.