With no sight of release of an Indian oil tanker detained by Iran 16 days ago, the wife of the ship's captain today demanded immediate repatriation of her husband and other crew members.
"We want them back as soon as possible. It's 16 days, they are there and what talks are taking place we are not aware of that but we want them back soon," said the wife of the Captain of MT Desh Shanti Cheema.
Oil tanker MT Desh Shanti belongs to the country's largest ocean liner Shipping Corporation of India (SCI). It was seized in Persian Gulf while carrying crude from Basra in Iraq and was taken to Bandar Abbas port in Iran on August 12.
She said she had got a call on August 12 from her husband, saying Iran's Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were taking them to Bandar Abbas port "so, then I asked him for what?"
He said they were citing oil spill but the ship was nowhere near the point about which they are saying.
After 16 days in Panjrabadh, talks are taking place between company and the governments of India and Iran but you can see the outcome, she said.
"So my basic and foremost concern is that they should be safe there and they should come back as soon as possible, the vessel should be released," he demanded.
Meanwhile, India today summoned the Iranian Ambassador here to lodge a strong protest against the detention of the oil tanker and sought "unconditional" release of the vessel.
