Bhubaneswar

A merchant navy official from Odisha, Sarthak Mohapatra, working as a Deck Cadet, has been reported missing at sea while on duty aboard the vessel ‘EA Jersey’, prompting his family to seek urgent intervention from the Centre and the Odisha government.

A missing person complaint was lodged at Sahidnagar Police Station in Bhubaneswar on February 5, police said.

Mohapatra, a resident of Keshapur in Bhadrak district, has been employed with a private shipping company since July 2025 and was working under a Mumbai-based ship management firm. According to family members, he went missing while the vessel was sailing from Mauritius to China.

His mother has written to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging immediate action to trace her son and ensure a transparent investigation into the incident.

Speaking to the family over the phone, Rajnandini Kochi, a representative of the ship management company, said that search efforts were underway and multiple vessels were involved in the operation. She added that the ship is expected to reach Singapore around February 12 or 13, where a detailed inspection and crew verification would be conducted.

However, the mother of the missing cadet expressed distress and suspicion over the company’s handling of the matter. “I have a bad feeling that something is not right. My son is alive—I am completely sure,” she said while speaking to ANI.

Sarthak’s friend Saswat Mohallick said they were in regular contact until recently. “He was completing his internship at Anglo-Eastern and pursuing a Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS). We last spoke on February 2, and he sounded completely normal. On February 3, we were informed that he had been missing since around 6 am,” Mohallick said.

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Further details are awaited as authorities monitor developments.