Sixteen Indian crew members aboard the merchant vessel MT Valiant Roar are in the custody of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), prompting a family to appeal directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for urgent diplomatic intervention.

The vessel was intercepted on 8 December 2025 in international waters near Dibba Port, off the UAE coast.

Iranian authorities have accused the ship of smuggling approximately 6,000 metric tonnes of fuel. The current status and location of the crew have not been officially confirmed.

Among the detained is Third Engineer Ketan Mehta. His family reported that they last spoke to him on 31 December 2025, when he reassured them that he was safe.

After losing his own phone, Ketan stayed in touch with his parents through a colleague, oiler Pothi Diwakar.

Later, the family learned from Diwakar that ten crew members, including Ketan, had been formally arrested by Iranian authorities.

Ketan’s father, Mukesh Mehta, said the family contacted the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Tehran.

He reportedly stated that the MEA had requested Ketan’s passport details, which were provided immediately, but no further updates or reassurances had been received since.

Ketan’s mother, Rajni Mehta, has not spoken to her son in over two weeks and is said to be extremely worried about his safety while in detention.

The family said that Ketan and the other crew members were performing their professional duties and were innocent of the allegations.

Per media reports, the Indian Embassy in Tehran had requested consular access for the detained crew, although it has not yet been granted.

Diplomatic sources told the media that while the crew are technically “free to leave,” they remain on board the vessel due to unresolved technical issues.

There has been no official statement from Iranian authorities regarding the legal status or exact location of the 16 Indian sailors.

Reference: ANI News