Now Reading: Wife says Indian captain held in UK was scapegoat in Russia oil case
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Wife says Indian captain held in UK was scapegoat in Russia oil case
Wife says Indian captain held in UK was scapegoat in Russia oil case
The wife of Indian merchant navy captain Ajay Pant, arrested in Britain over sanctions linked to Russia's shadow fleet, has said her husband was made a scapegoat. British commandos fast-roped from a helicopter on June 14 in the English Channel to intercept the oil tanker MV Smyrtos, which was carrying 98,000 tonnes of oil from Russia's Ust-Luga port. Pant is the only crew member among 24 to face charges.
Ritu Pant, in an interview with AFP reported by both NDTV and Livemint, said her husband was doing his job of ensuring cargo reaches safely and was at the wrong place at the wrong time. His defence argues he acted on the owner's instructions and had no role in commercial arrangements. His mother has appealed to the Indian government for help. Pant's trial is due to begin on December 15.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both NDTV and Livemint ran wire copy from AFP with near-identical framing, making this a straight neutral-report story. The coverage leads with the wife's emotional plea and the dramatic interception but provides no independent detail on the sanctions case or the ship's ownership. The measured takeaway for a careful reader: the trial date of December 15 is the next concrete event to watch, and the Indian government's response remains the unknown variable that could influence diplomatic or legal outcomes.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): ndtv.com (neutral report), livemint.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
