Navy Officer From Odisha Goes Missing After Leaving For Kochi; Family Suspects Kidnapping

Berhampur: An Indian Navy officer from Odisha’s Ganjam district has reportedly gone missing under mysterious circumstances.

As per information, the Navy officer, identified as Saurabh Kumar Patra, allegedly went missing after he left his hometown in Berhampur for Kochi on January 19.

The 25-year-old officer, who hails from Gate Bazar area in Berhampur city, went missing on Sunday after leaving home to report to duty at the Kochi Naval Base.

Saurabh, who joined the Indian Navy in 2019, had been on vacation in Berhampur since December 28. On Sunday, he boarded a train to Visakhapatnam to catch a flight to Kochi to join his duty as an acting leading communicator at INS Garuda, sources said.

However, he did not reach his workplace at INS Garuda. While his mobile phone was found switched off, the last recorded location from the device was Visakhapatnam.

A complaint has been lodged by his uncle, Amulya Jena, at Berhampur Town police station on Wednesday. The family members have reached out to relatives, searched extensively, and contacted the Navy base in Kochi, but no clues emerged.

Expressing apprehension that Saurabh might have been kidnapped, his family members have urged police and Navy authorities to intensify efforts to locate him.