Bhopal: Relatives of missing merchant navy officer stage dharna

Family members of a 26-year-old merchant navy officer from Bhopal, who went missing under mysterious circumstances from a Mozambique-bound vessel, staged a day-long dharna at Bhopal’s Neelam Park on Sunday demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.

Family members of a 26-year-old merchant navy officer from Bhopal, who went missing under mysterious circumstances from a Mozambique-bound vessel, staged a day-long dharna at Bhopal’s Neelam Park on Sunday demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case.

Family members and friends of missing merchant navy officer staging dharna at Neelam Park in Bhopal on Sunday. (HT Photo)

Sandeep Yadav, 26, a trainee electrical officer onboard shipping vessel MT Jag Pushpa, went missing on March 3. The demand for CBI probe was raised earlier when Sandeep’s selfies with half-shaved head were found from his mobile phone. The photographs were dated February 29, 2016, when the youth was on the ship.

“Almost one month has passed and there is no clue about the sudden disappearance of my brother. We are staging this dharna to urge the government to take proper action and help us know the fate of Sandeep,” said Sandeep’s brother Bhupendra.

The agitators urged chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and minister for shipping Nitin Gadkari to break their silence on the matter.

“We have met Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari in the matter, but till now no FIR has been registered let alone ordering a CBI probe. We are losing our patience as no official is assuring us to investigate into the matter to find out what actually happened to him,” added Bhupendra.