Bhubaneswar: The family of the merchant navy cadet from Odisha, Sarthak Mohapatra on Tuesday sought a criminal investigation into his disappearance from the vessel mid-sea off the Mauritius coast on February 3.
Sarthak’s mother Rashmita Mohapatra and uncle Santosh Sahu, who had travelled to Singapore to oversee efforts by authorities to trace the missing sailor after the vessel docked at a port there, have returned to Bhubaneswar.
Claiming that the company that operated the vessel did not cooperate with them during the visit, they raised serious allegations regarding the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. They stated that the mystery of Sarthak’s disappearance lies within the ship itself, which they claim left the port in haste.
The vessel, EA Jersey, is operated by Anglo-Eastern company. Sarthak’s passport remains on board the vessel, and the family has been informed that the ship will be detained in Hong Kong.
The family alleged that critical information is being withheld and expressed suspicion that something has been done to Sarthak. They have urged the Union government to engage with the Singapore counterpart and seek its intervention. They demanded that the matter be treated as a criminal case and investigated accordingly.
Speaking to reporters at the Bhubaneswar airport, Sarthak’s uncle said they were able to board the vessel in Singapore with assistance from the Indian High Commission and the Director General of Shipping (DGS).
“However, officials of the company operating the vessel did not cooperate with us during the visit. Whenever I tried to speak to Sarthak’s colleagues or other officers on board, company representatives interrupted and prevented me from asking questions,” he alleged.
Around 15 company officials were present on the vessel and closely accompanied the family members during their visit, he claimed, and further alleged that the family was restricted from accessing most parts of the ship and was allowed to visit only Sarthak’s personal cabin.
“We requested an in-depth search of the vessel, but the company officials had no clear response. Instead, they repeatedly tried to obtain our signatures on certain documents,” he alleged.
Sahu said that when the family met the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore, they were informed that a request for a proper investigation is pending with the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore. “The MPA is currently investigating the case. If required, they will involve the Singapore Police,” he added.
Later, he alleged that neither the officials of the company nor the crew members of the vessel had been able to show the CCTV footage of the day on which the incident happened.
“We demand a criminal investigation into the incident,” Sahu was quoted by PTI as saying.
“Without examining the CCTV footage, how did they conduct the search operation. There was a mismatch in the information and facts provided by different crew members and company officials,” he alleged.
Sarthak’s mother said that after they spent around two and a half hours on the ship, they were asked to leave, even though the port authority had given adequate time.
She said she visited the personal cabin of her son and also an exit door near the cabin. “When I went to the balcony from the exit door near the cabin, I found that one cannot slip into the sea even accidentally,” she said.
Alleging that the company was trying to hide something, she demanded a criminal investigation into the disappearance of her son.
