Merchant Navy Cadet from Dehradun Goes Missing Off Sri Lankan Coast

SHARE:

Merchant Navy Cadet from Dehradun Goes Missing Off Sri Lankan Coast

Dehradun: A 22-year-old merchant navy cadet from Dehradun has gone missing off the Sri Lankan coast while serving aboard an oil tanker bound for China, leaving his family in deep distress and searching for answers.

Deck cadet Karandeep Singh Rana was reported missing on September 20, according to his father Narendra Singh Rana, who said the young sailor had been part of a voyage from Iraq to China via Sri Lanka. The shocking news reached the family through the Mumbai office of the shipping company managing the vessel, Executive Ship Management, which informed them that Karandeep had not been seen on board since that evening.

Narendra Singh, a resident of Patel Nagar in Dehradun, said the family was completely shattered when they received the call from the company. “At around 9:30 pm, we were informed that Karandeep had gone missing from the ship and could not be found despite extensive searches. We were shocked because we had spoken to him just that afternoon, and he was perfectly fine,” he told PTI.

Karandeep had left for Singapore on August 18, from where he boarded the oil tanker heading toward Iraq. The ship then began its onward journey to China, passing near Sri Lanka when the incident occurred. According to the company’s initial account, the cadet had gone alone to the deck and failed to return. Despite search operations, there has been no trace of him since.

Narendra Singh said that since receiving the devastating news, the family has been tirelessly reaching out to every possible authority in the hope of locating their son. They have written appeals to the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, contacted the Uttarakhand state government, and approached the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for assistance in the search operation.

“We immediately approached the Chief Minister’s Portal and also wrote to the Ministry of External Affairs. We have been requesting help through every available channel, but so far, we haven’t received any concrete information about our son’s whereabouts,” Narendra said.

The anxious father met Chief Minister Dhami in person on Saturday to seek his intervention in the matter. “The Chief Minister assured us that the government would take up the issue with the central authorities and ensure that every possible effort is made to find Karandeep,” he said.

The family’s concern has only deepened with the passage of time. Days after the incident, there has been no confirmation of what exactly happened on board the vessel. Narendra said the company’s explanation has remained vague, merely stating that Karandeep was last seen on the deck. “They told us he went there alone, but how could someone just disappear from a ship in the middle of the sea? We deserve to know what really happened,” he said, his voice filled with anguish.

He added that the family was finding it difficult to process the sudden disappearance of a young man who had spoken to them only hours before the incident. “There was no sign of distress in his voice. He was happy and told us everything was fine on board. The next thing we knew, we were told he was missing,” Narendra said.

Karandeep had always dreamed of a career in the Merchant Navy, his father said, recalling how passionate his son was about the sea. “He worked very hard to get here. Ever since his school days, he was determined to join the Merchant Navy. He was about to become a Third Officer soon,” he said, his eyes welling up with emotion.

The family’s home in Dehradun has since turned into a place of constant worry and prayer. Relatives and neighbours have been visiting the Rana family, offering comfort and urging the authorities to act swiftly. The uncertainty of the situation and the lack of clear information from the company have left them distraught.

“We only want our son to be found,” said Narendra. “If the company says they have searched the entire vessel and surrounding waters, then what are the authorities doing now? There has to be coordination between the Indian and Sri Lankan authorities to find him. He cannot just vanish into thin air.”

As the days pass without any concrete development, the family’s desperation grows. Narendra said they hope that with the Chief Minister’s and the Central government’s involvement, more resources will be deployed to locate his son and to investigate what led to his disappearance.

For now, the mystery of what happened to Deck Cadet Karandeep Singh Rana remains unresolved. The family clings to hope, waiting for some word from the authorities or the shipping company that could bring clarity — or at least closure — to a nightmare that began on a calm September evening somewhere off the coast of Sri Lanka.

shipping inbox
Author: shipping inbox

shipping and maritime related web portal

Leave a Comment

सबसे ज्यादा पड़ गई