War deepens worries for Indian sailors held in Iran; Ghaziabad family says all contact lost with son after strikes

NOIDA: For a family in Ghaziabad, the conflict that erupted in Iran on Feb 28 has turned an already anxious wait into a frightening silence. Mukesh Mehta says he has not heard from his son Ketan — a sailor detained in Iran since Dec — after regular calls abruptly stopped days before the strikes.

"Ketan was lodged in Bandar Abbas jail, from where he would call us every two or three days. We felt reassured about his well-being. But since Feb 26, there has been no call at all. The last time we spoke, there was no sense that a war would begin. We were hoping he would be back home soon," Mukesh, a resident of DLF Colony, told TOI.




Ketan was among 18 crew members — 16 Indians, one Sri Lankan and a Bangladeshi — detained after the oil tanker MT Valiant Roar was intercepted in international waters near the port of Dibba in UAE and taken to Iran on Dec 8. Iranian authorities later split the crew. While 10 were moved to Bandar Abbas prison, eight were kept confined on the vessel.

After the Indian embassy's intervention, eight crew members were released on Feb 3 and returned to India on Feb 11. That left 10 still in Iran — five in jail and five held on the ship.

Relatives of another sailor, Captain Vijay Kumar, said the situation shifted again on Feb 27, when Iranian authorities released the five men from Bandar Abbas prison following further intervention by Indian govt. They included Ketan.

"The five who were in jail were freed and checked into a local hotel that night because documentation and other formalities take about a week before they can leave for India," said Vinod Kumar, a Noida-based Merchant Navy officer and Vijay Kumar's cousin.

Then, the strikes began. The very next day.

According to Vinod, communication became the dividing line between families who could still reach their loved ones and those who could not.

The five sailors who remained on the vessel were able to contact relatives in India even after Feb 28, but those moved to the hotel — including Ketan — went out of reach as communication lines were suspended.

Vinod said he stayed in touch with his cousin while he was still on the ship. "He told me the ship was free to disembark from the harbour, but they could not sail because it had become ‘unseaworthy'. The navigational equipment was damaged during the capture. So, they were waiting in the harbour for an update from the Indian consulate," he added.

However, on Tuesday evening, Vinod said, the Indian consulate informed him that the remaining five sailors had been evacuated from the vessel and taken to the same hotel where the others were staying. "Now, communication with them is also suspended. For evacuation, it was necessary that all sailors be on the mainland and off the vessel. So, they were moved to the hotel. Now, we are waiting for the evacuation process, which depends on the war situation."

Mukesh Mehta said he had not been updated about these developments as he had not been in touch with the Indian consulate. "We are hopeful that Indian govt will bring our sailors back safely," he added. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !