Mother Of Missing Indian Cadet Reaches Singapore To Seek Answers As Vessel Docks

The mother of a missing Indian merchant navy cadet arrived in Singapore on Sunday as the vessel on which he was serving docked there, amid continuing efforts to trace him after he disappeared earlier this month.

Rasmita Mohapatra, whose 23-year-old son Sarthak Mohapatra has been missing since 3 February, travelled to Singapore with her brother to oversee developments related to the case.

The ship, MV EA Jersey, reached Singapore the same day. Two officials from the Directorate General of Shipping accompanied the family.

Sarthak, a deck cadet from Bhadrak district, was serving on board the MV EA Jersey, operated by Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Pvt Ltd.

According to the company, he was last seen on the morning of 3 February leaving his cabin dressed in formal clothes.

Following reports of his disappearance, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Mauritius conducted aerial search operations near the Mauritius coast, where the vessel had been sailing.

With the ship now alongside in Singapore, authorities are expected to intensify inspection and search procedures.

Rasmita Mohapatra stated that the vessel had already been searched by crew members after her son was reported missing.

She said the family was seeking access to CCTV recordings and other technical evidence from the period when he was last seen in order to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The family has called for transparency and an independent investigation, along with full access to all technical records related to the vessel.

Earlier, they met Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to request his intervention.

According to his mother, the vessel had sailed from China to West Africa and was returning to China via Singapore.

She said Sarthak had spoken to her on 2 February, and the family had not received any information about his whereabouts since then.

She also appealed on social media platform X for urgent assistance in locating her son.

Reference: TOI

Source: Maritime Shipping News