Merchant navy official from Odisha 'missing' from vessel near Mauritius

New Delhi: An Indian merchant navy officer has reportedly gone missing onboard a vessel near Mauritius. The officer hailed from Odisha's Bhadrak district. The missing officer's family has requested the state and the central government to interfere in the matter and take necessary steps to locate him. The officer, according to reports, has been missing since February 3. He has been identified as Sarthak Mahapatra, from Bhadrak's Kespur district. He was working with a private shipping company since July 2025.According to his mother, Rashmita Mohapatra, the vessel had sailed from China to West Africa and was returning to China via Singapore."Sarthak spoke to me and other family members and friends on February 2," she said."We are devastated at his disappearance

and request the central and state governments to intervene urgently. We have sent emails appealing to the Odisha government to rescue my son and bring him back home safely," she said.She also sought help from the prime minister, the chief minister, the director general of shipping, and the ministry of external affairs through posts on X."As a mother, I request a transparent investigation, access to CCTV footage, details of his personal belongings, and continuous official updates," she wrote.Sources in the Odisha government said they have taken up the issue with the authorities concerned in New Delhi and requested them to inquire into the incident.With inputs from PTI