Varanasi: An Indian Merchant Navy officer Manish Dwivedi, native of Mirzapur, has gone missing mysteriously from a port in Pennsylvania, USA since May 6. Accused the ship management company of not providing clear information, his distressed family met local MP and Union minister Anupriya Patel in Delhi on May 11.Anupriya sent a letter to MEA S Jaishankar on May 12 to ensure Manish was traced, said his father Santosh Dwivedi, mentioning that Manish serves as second officer with Western Shipping Company onboard the Singapore-flagged vessel ‘Sifnos Lady’. On May 6 evening, when the vessel docked at Marcus Hook Port, Philadelphia, US, Manish had gone on shore leave along with three of his colleagues to the Concord Mall Best Buying area and since then, he was untraceable. He did not contact his family or colleagues. Despite continuous efforts made by fellow crew members and authorities, no information regarding his whereabouts have been received so far, said Dwivedi.In her letter, Anupriya said prolonged absence of Manish and uncertainty surrounding his safety caused immense anguish, fear, and emotional distress to his family, anxiously waiting for news about their son’s well-being. His parents are deeply shaken and are looking forward to govt with hope and faith in this extremely difficult time. “I shall be grateful if you could kindly direct the Embassy of India in the US to extend all possible assistance and coordinate with the concerned local authorities for tracing Manish at the earliest and ensuring his safety and well-being. Any timely intervention in the matter would provide much-needed solace and reassurance to the distressed family”, she added.Manish’s family said they last spoke to him on May 6, after which all communication stopped. Dwivedi said they became aware that Manish was missing when his company’s Mumbai office gave them a phone call. It was reported that the other three colleagues, who accompanied him, returned to the vessel, but Manish did not.Dwivedi said during previous call, the company had stated that Manish had been found and was safe, but their anxiety rose on coming to know that the vessel had reportedly sailed ahead without Manish onboard.
