Bhubaneswar: Seafarers Association of Odisha on Tuesday demanded a thorough and impartial investigation to trace missing Odia naval cadet Sarthak Mohapatra.
Addressing a press meet in Bhubaneswar, association members expressed concern over the mysterious disappearance of the young Odia sailor seven days ago, and called for swift action to locate him at the earliest.
Sarthak went missing from a merchant vessel in the deep sea in Mauritius, leaving his family in pain. Despite extensive search operations, there has been no trace of the young sailor so far, sparking calls for an impartial investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance.
The 23-year-old youth from Keshpur in Bhadrak district had joined the ship management company in Mumbai in July 2025. His disappearance has not only devastated his family but also alarmed the wider seafaring community.
The Seafarers’ Association has now demanded an impartial investigation, stressing that the safety and accountability of Indian sailors working on foreign vessels must be ensured. Representatives of the association said, “It is heart-breaking a young trainee is untraceable. We are hopeful for his safe return. We are waiting for search and rescue operation to conclude after which a detailed probe must be conducted into the missing case. We have learned that the Central Government is directly overseeing the operations to trace him.”
According to sources, Sarthak was last seen on February 3 in CCTV footage from the ship’s accommodation area, dressed in white and holding a phone. Shortly afterward, he vanished without a trace. His sudden disappearance has raised serious concerns, with family members refusing to believe that he simply walked out of his cabin. They suspect something more serious and have urged authorities to probe deeper into the matter.
A massive search and rescue operation has been launched by Anglo Eastern Ship Management, covering nearly 169 nautical square miles. Four advanced ships have been deployed, supported by aerial surveillance, to locate the missing cadet.
