The Supreme Court on Monday instructed the Ministry of External Affairs to utilize diplomatic channels to trace an Indian seafarer who went missing in the Black Sea after a drone attack hit his cargo vessel last month.
Diplomatic Action Sought
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to obtain instructions from the Indian embassies in Ukraine and Bucharest, Romania. The court directed officials to ascertain the whereabouts of 22-year-old Deepak Kumar Gupta, who was working aboard the merchant vessel MV AGN Ragnar. The apex court has scheduled the next hearing for Friday.
Drone Attack Near Ukrainian Port
The incident occurred on July 25 near Ukraine’s Odesa port, where the merchant vessel carrying Indian crew members was targeted in a drone strike. Gupta went missing immediately following the attack on the ship.
Family Approaches Apex Court
The top court’s directions came in response to a plea filed by the missing crew member’s elder brother, Sandeep Kumar Gupta. The petitioner stated that the family turned to the court after multiple representations sent to the Union of India and Indian diplomatic missions in Ukraine and Romania between July 26 and July 30 went unanswered. Seeking immediate search and rescue operations, the family alleged that government authorities failed to provide any assurances or response during that critical period.
Gupta is a resident of Bharataul village in the Bareilly district, where his family has resided for several years. The family originally hails from Bihar’s Siwan district.
