Bhubaneswar: Family members of Sarthak Mohapatra, a young merchant navy cadet from Odisha’s Bhadrak district, are set to return to Bhubaneswar on Tuesday after visiting Singapore, where they accused the shipping company Anglo-Eastern of not cooperating in the investigation into his mysterious disappearance from the vessel MV EA Jersey on February 3.
According to sources, Rasmita Mohapatra, mother of the missing sailor, landed in Singapore on February 15 along with her brother, Santosh Sahu, to oversee efforts to trace her son. The family, which was accompanied by two senior officials from India’s Directorate General of Shipping, had hoped to gain insights into the circumstances of Sarthak’s disappearance. However, they were only permitted to enter Sarthak’s cabin but denied access to other areas of the ship, including containers, or to interact freely with crew members.
Speaking to the media, Sarthak’s maternal grandmother said that when his uncle tried to speak with other crew members, two HR officials from Anglo-Eastern intervened and stopped him. “They took them to his cabin, packed his stuff and handed those over to my daughter, who claimed that there was no spot in the ship from where he could slip,” she said.
The family members also claimed inconsistencies in statements from the crew during interactions led by the government officials. They had requested for a dog squad and a scientific team to examine the vessel thoroughly, but these were denied along with the promised vessel’s Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) and CCTV footage. “They went to Singapore following assurance from Indian and Singapore governments and had sought a thorough check of the vessel,” his maternal grandfather said.
On Monday, Rashmita and Sahu met the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore, who reportedly assured full cooperation in efforts to trace Sarthak, as the MV EA Jersey departed Singapore for China.
She had also met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi earlier this month, seeking his intervention in the case.
According to the family, the company sent two contradictory messages. The initial letter indicated that Sarthak was last seen entering his room aboard the vessel, whereas the subsequent communication asserted that he was last spotted exiting his cabin with a mobile phone in hand, casting significant doubt on the events leading to his disappearance.
The All-India Seafarers Union had also demanded an independent DGS-led investigation into Sarthak’s disappearance, seizure of all evidence on the vessel, and the release of CCTV footage.
