Noida: Sailors detained in Iran last Dec after Islamic Revolutionary Guard seized oil tanker MT Valiant Roar have been able to speak to their families after being granted consular access, which happened after the Indian govt intervened. While their families here remain anxious about how and when their repatriation will happen, there is, for now, some relief. “At least we now know they are alive and coping with the situation,” said Mukesh Mehta, after speaking to his son, merchant navy engineer Ketan, for the first time since Dec 31. “That alone is a huge relief.”Ketan is one of 18 sailors—including 16 Indians, one Sri Lankan, and one Bangladeshi—detained after the MT Valiant Roar was intercepted on Dec 8 in international waters near the port of Dibba, UAE. Of the crew, 10 were moved to Bandar Abbas prison, while eight remain confined on the vessel, including Ketan.During thecall on Jan 21, Ketan told his family that the crew had not been informed of the specific reasons for their detention, nor of any charges framed against them, but were being provided food and basic necessities. He also told his father that none of them had been produced before a court and had been given no indication of how long they might be held. “Now we are waiting for the next call,” Mukesh told TOI from his home in Ghaziabad.Indian consular officials have also told the sailors that no formal charges have been framed as the Iranian authorities were still awaiting the cargo sample test report. Iran alleged that the tanker was involved in the smuggling of nearly 6,000 tonnes of fuel. Relatives of Indian sailors claimed tanker was carrying only very low sulphur fuel oil. Captain Vijay Kumar, the vessel’s master and one of the eight crew members still on board, spoke to his cousin Vinod Kumar, a merchant navy officer in Noida, on Jan 23 and said they are confined to the ship’s mess room under constant guard. “They are not allowed to leave,” Vinod said. “They are making do with the remaining food stocks and cooking with very limited supplies.”On Jan 10, the families of all 16 sailors had approached the Delhi High Court, seeking directions to the Centre to secure consular access, expedite investigations and ensure the safe return of the crew to India.In its response to the court, the Union government said it had taken up the issue with Iranian authorities through the Indian Embassy in Tehran and the Consulate in Bandar Abbas. Officials from the embassy met Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Dec 24, 2025, and again on Jan 8, 2026, pressing for early consular access.The Centre informed the court that Iranian authorities approved consular access to 10 of the crew members shifted to Bandar Abbas prison on Jan 19 and the eight sailors still detained on the vessel on Jan 22.The Centre also told the high court that an inter-ministerial meeting was held on Jan 18, involving the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Indian Embassy in Tehran and the Directorate General of Shipping.During a hearing on Jan 21, counsel representing the families told the court they were dissatisfied with the status report filed by the Centre and sought more specific, time-bound assurances. After hearing the submissions, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav directed counsel for the Union govt to obtain instructions on the concerns raised by the petitioners. The matter is scheduled to be heard next on Jan 27.
