Shimla: Family members of seafarer Aditya Sharma (23), who was killed in a US strike on an oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz, Thursday urged the Himachal government and the Centre to get the body back to the native Galore village in Hamirpur so that his last rites could be performed.
Aditya was among the three crew members who were killed after the US military struck Palau-flagged MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman June 10, accusing it of violating an American blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.
There were 24 Indian crewmen on board the vessel, of whom 21 were rescued.
Aditya, a deck cadet on probation, was the only son of his parents.
The family members, devastated by the loss, have questioned whether adequate attempts were made to rescue him.
Ashok, grandfather of the deceased, said, “We want to know that when the captain was warned against moving ahead, in which capacity did he take the ship forward. We demand an inquiry.”
Adiya’s uncle Sanjiv said they spent several anxious trying to ascertain his whereabouts after receiving information that he was missing.
“I received a call from my brother around 9 pm Wednesday that Aditya is missing. I immediately rushed to my brother’s place in Jalandhar (Punjab). For the whole night, we tried to coordinate with the company for Aditya’s whereabouts. It was only around 1.30 am that we came to know that he was no more,” Sanjiv said.
Aditya was planning to visit home in May, but decided to extend his stay at the vessel for a month, he added.
“We are trying to get the body of our boy so that we can perform the last rites,” Sanjay said, adding that they have requested Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the central government for early repatriation of the body.
“We also want to know what Aditya was doing near the engine at night when the attack took place, and whether any attempts were made to rescue him or not”, Sanjay said.
Expressing grief over Sharma’s death, Anurag Thakur said he has requested the Foreign Minister Jaishankar to engage the Indian Embassy in Oman to talk to the country’s authorities and the company so that his body can be brought to India as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued here Thursday, Chief Minister Sukhu expressed his condolences and said that the state government stands firmly with the bereaved family members in this hour of distress.
He also directed the district administration to provide all possible help to the family.
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