Jammu: 10 days on, missing Navy sailor yet to be traced

The Western Naval Command has already set up a board of inquiry for detailed investigation into the sailor going missing

At least 10 days on, there has been no clue of 19-year-old sailor Sahil Verma who went missing from an Indian naval ship on February 27. He hails from of Jammu’s Ghou Manhasan area.

Sahil Verma (HT Photo)

“Each passing day is adding to our desperation to see our son back. A fear about his safety keeps haunting us. We appeal Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha to find our son,” said Sahil’s father Subash Chander, who runs a kiosk of repairing tyres.

“If our son didn’t fall into sea, then has he disappeared in the sky? He was deployed at Indian Naval Ship Kochi. If the cameras on board didn’t capture footage of him falling into the sea, then what are they searching with the help of ships and aircrafts,” he asked.

He added that the day they received a phone call of Sahil’s missing report from Colaba police station, the family sent an email from the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Jammu to the defence minister.

Sahil’s uncle Sohan Verma said that on Tuesday, Sinha had talked to the family over phone and informed them that defence minister has taken cognisance of the incident.

“We suspect that something wrong has happened, which is being hushed up by the authorities. We demand a CBI probe,” said Verma.

Sahil’s mother Rama Kumari, who is a housewife, said, “I had sent my son to serve the nation. He had also promised to rid the family of penury. No one is telling us about his well being. I won’t be able to bear this agony for more.”

The Western Naval Command has already set up a board of inquiry for detailed investigation.