JAMMU: The parents of missing sailor
Sahil Verma called for a CBI investigation into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance from an Indian Navy ship while on duty on Feb 27. “It is surprising that a soldier went missing from his naval ship and couldn’t not be traced,” his father Subash Chander said Sunday at Ghou Manhasan town in Jammu district of J&K. “I have been told that CCTV cameras on the ship did not catch anyone falling overboard. Then, where is my son?” he asked.
The parents sought the intervention of PM Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, Union home minister Amit Shah, and J&K LG Manoj Sinha to ensure their son’s safe return.
Sahil, serving as a seaman, vanished under “mysterious circumstances”, prompting naval authorities to mount a widespread search with ships and aircraft, which is ongoing. “A high-level board of inquiry has been ordered,” Mumbai-based Western Naval Command tweeted Saturday.
Sahil’s maternal uncle Gautam echoed the call for a CBI inquiry, highlighting that his nephew disappeared during official deployment. “The family should have been informed and a board of inquiry ordered within 24 hours. Both happened after two days,” he said, referencing Navy’s tweet.