Missing Merchant Navy Officer

Govt writes to Australian, Singapore embassies





Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
Tribune News Service
Ramgarh, June 1
“Pappa Jaldi Ghar Aa Jao (Daddy, come home soon)”. Oblivious of the gravity of situation, three-year-old Simarpreet Kour had this message for her father, a young Sikh merchant navy officer, who has been reported missing from his tanker vessel off Australian coast since May 27.
While Simarpreet is too small to understand the unpleasant development, the state government’s has dashed off two letters to the embassies of Australia and Singapore, besides taking up the matter with the UPA government, renewing the hopes of the Sikh family in this border village. Vikram had joined the company just a year ago.
“Vikram Singh (30), second officer in the Japanese merchant navy company, Mitsui Osk Lines, had left the Fremantle Port in Australia on May 24 for Singapore, but on May 27 at 11 am (IST) we received a call from his company office in Mumbai informing us about the incident,” Chanan Singh Toor, Vikram’s father-in-law told The Tribune.
“Subsequently, on May 28 another official from the company’s Mumbai office, Captain Rajeev, came to meet us. It seemed they all parroted almost same answers to our questions. We were not at all satisfied with their replies,” said Toor.
“Even on the day when Vikram left Australia for Singapore, he had spoken to us, including his wife, on the phone before the signal snapped. In fact, his vessel had been almost 300 km into the sea from the Fremantle Port, but well within the coastal boundaries of Australia,” Toor added.
Vikram’s father-in-law said two days ago, the aggrieved family had faxed a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and had also talked to his political adviser DS Rana.
“The state government has now written two letters to the embassies of Australia and Singapore, while Congress MPs Lal Singh and Madan Lal Sharma have also taken up the matter with the right authorities in New Delhi. It seems that the Chief Minister is serious about the case,” Toor said.
Industries Minister SS Salathia, former MP TS Bajwa and former minister Manjeet Singh have already visited the family and assured it of all possible help.
Toor has also written a letter to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Meanwhile, the wife of the young Sikh officer has urged the Central and state governments for help.
“I strongly feel that something terribly wrong has happened to my husband on the ship. So, I demand that the entire crew be arrested and interrogated. By now they must have destroyed all clues and evidences,” she said before breaking down. “A God fearing man, my husband never had enmity with anyone,” she added.