Bhubaneswar: Members of Seafarers Association of Odisha on Tuesday demanded a time-bound, impartial investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Odia merchant navy cadet Sarthak Mohapatra, who went missing from a container vessel near Mauritius. The cadet disappeared from the vessel EA Jersey on Feb 3. The association raised serious concerns over the safety and accountability mechanisms for Indian sailors serving on foreign-flagged ships. The members urged probing agencies to act swiftly and transparently to establish the circumstances under which the cadet went missing.While the vessel is currently sailing towards Singapore, where a detailed inspection and investigation of the ship is scheduled, the Indian govt has taken direct charge of the efforts to trace the cadet. Earlier, the vessel crew completed an initial search operation and could not trace the cadet. “We are demanding a fair and credible inquiry by the Indian govt in coordination with Singapore. The vessel’s captain and crew must be questioned to determine what exactly happened on Feb 3,” said a member of the association. The company operating the vessel, Anglo Eastern, informed the family members that Sarthak was last seen stepping out of his room in formal clothes on the vessel with a mobile phone. His family met chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday, and the latter assured them he would take up the matter at the highest level.
