India-bound Russian oil tanker turns back amid fresh US sanctions, refiners on alert
Chennai: An India-bound oil tanker carrying Russian crude has abruptly reversed course in the Baltic Sea, raising concerns over possible disruptions in the oil trade between India and Russia, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
The vessel, identified as Furia, had loaded around 730,000 barrels of Urals crude from Russia’s Primorsk port and was originally headed for Sikka port in Gujarat. The tanker turned back and updated its destination to Port Said in Egypt, after reaching the Fehmarn Belt between Denmark and Germany, as reported by The New Indian Express. The turnaround of the tanker suggests potential shipping, insurance, other complexities arising from sanctions enforcement and issues linked to the latest US sanctions.
The fresh sanctions on Russian energy majors, including Rosneft and Lukoil, require all ongoing transactions to be wound down by November 21. This will raise an uncertainty among Indian refiners that rely on discounted Russian supplies.
While early indications suggest that Indian oil imports from Russia may fall significantly or possibly pause temporarily, refiners such as Reliance Industries, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum are reevaluating their contracts.
Since 2022, India has emerged as one of the largest purchasers of Russian crude. It has been benefiting from the significant discounts that have raised refining margins and reduced import expenses. Industry analysts warn that any disruption might push refiners to seek more expensive alternatives from the Middle East, Africa, or Latin America, raising fuel input costs and reducing revenues.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
