KULLU: Wedding cards printed, house walls freshly painted, but the air is thick with worry for the family of Himachal Pradesh merchant navy officer Rikshit Chauhan, 26, who is among three Indians detained after the US Coast Guard seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic last week. The family has turned to PM Modi for help, praying his return before an elder brother’s wedding on Feb 19. “We haven’t slept since we came to know about it,” said his father Ranjit Chauhan, 54, at their home in Sidhpur village on the outskirts of Dharamshala in Kangra district. “I request PM Modi to please ensure safe return of my son and two other Indians.” Chauhan last spoke to Rikshit on Jan 7. “He told me not to worry if he became unreachable because of signal problems.” That day, US authorities intercepted the vessel near Venezuelan waters and took the crew into custody. The family learnt of the detention on Jan 8. “Painting was on, invitation cards were going out when news came,” a relative said Monday. “We hope he returns so we can celebrate both – his homecoming & the wedding.“ Rikshit left home on Aug 1, 2025, first sailing to Iran before joining the Russian tanker, which had been at sea for four months and was headed towards Venezuela when seized. His cousin Rahul said Kangra MP Rajeev Bharadwaj has assured them of taking up the matter with the external affairs ministry.
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