Pune: A Pune-based 22-year-old youth serving as a deck cadet on a merchant ship went missing while the vessel was sailing from Indonesia to Singapore, his father Gopal Karad disclosed on Sunday. Pranav Karad has been working with Wilhelmsen Ship Management India Private Limited for the past six months and went missing on Friday afternoon, he claimed.
"The ship was travelling from Indonesia to Singapore. On Friday evening, we received a call from the Mumbai office of the shipping firm informing that us our son went missing while onboard. We have been told a search operation is underway and efforts are being made to trace him," said Pranav's father Gopal Karad.
"We are trying to reach out to the Union government seeking its help. We have also approached Mumbai and Pune police. Pranav did a three-year course in Marine Engineering from a Pune-based education institute," his father said. A Pune police officer said Pranav's kin had approached them, but they were redirected to the Mumbai police since the shipping firm's office is in Andheri.
Pranav's father Gopal Karad said that they spoke with Pranav five days ago and he was very happy. So far they have not been given any satisfactory information by the company in Mumbai. "I want my son back. The company does not provide any information properly. The company is saying that our search is on, but it was stopped by the company," he said. Pranav Karad's parents lodged a complaint at Warje Police Station. Based on the complaint, we conduct a probe into the case," said Warje Police Station's Senior Police Inspector Manoj Shendage.
