Bhubaneswar, February 17 The family of the merchant navy cadet from Odisha, Sarthak Mohapatra, on Tuesday alleged that officials of the company operating the vessel from which he went missing mid-sea off the Mauritius coast on February 3, had not cooperated with them.
Sarthak's mother, Rashmita Mohapatra, and uncle, Santosh Sahu, had travelled to Singapore to oversee the authorities' efforts to trace him after the vessel docked at a port there.
Anglo-Eastern, the company operating the vessel – EA Jersey – denied the allegations and claimed that it had fully cooperated with the family during their visit.
Speaking to reporters at the Bhubaneswar airport upon their return, Sahu said they were able to board the vessel in Singapore with assistance from the Indian High Commission and the Director General of Shipping (DGS).
"However, officials of the company operating the vessel did not cooperate with us during the visit. Whenever I tried to speak to Sarthak's colleagues or other officers on board, company representatives interrupted and prevented me from asking questions," he alleged.
Around 15 company officials were present on the vessel and closely accompanied the family members during their visit, he claimed.
Sahu further alleged that the family was restricted from accessing most parts of the ship and was allowed to visit only Sarthak's personal cabin.
"We requested a thorough search of the vessel, but the company officials had no clear response. Instead, they repeatedly tried to obtain our signatures on certain documents," he alleged.
Sahu said that when the family met the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore, they were informed that a request for a proper investigation is pending with the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore.
"The MPA is currently investigating the case. If required, they will involve the Singapore Police," he added.
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