Himachal Officer Detained by US Forces, Wedding Plans Halted

• Rakshit Chauhan, a Merchant Navy officer from Himachal Pradesh, was detained by US forces from a Russian-flagged, Venezuelan-linked oil tanker.
• He was on his first sea assignment aboard Marinera and was due to return home for his wedding on February 19.
• The tanker, carrying Venezuelan-linked crude oil, was intercepted by US authorities on January 7 after a chase.
• Rakshit's family has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for his safe and quick return.
• Two other Indian crew members from Goa and Kerala, along with Ukrainian, Georgian, and Russian citizens, are also detained on the vessel.

Why It Matters: An Indian Merchant Navy officer's wedding plans are on hold after his detention by US forces.