Indian Navy's sailor reported missing from ship; Parents demand CBI probe, pray for his safe return
Jammu, Mar 3: The parents of Indian Navy sailor Sahil Verma, who has been missing for a week, on Sunday demanded a CBI probe into the circumstances leading to his "mysterious disappearance" at sea from an Indian naval ship while on deployment.
Verma, a seaman in the Indian Navy, went missing from a naval ship on February 27 and a massive search operation has been launched to trace him.
His father Subash Chander and mother Rama Kumari -- who live in the Ghou Manhasan area of Jammu -- have sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to ensure the safe return of their missing son.
"It is astonishing that a soldier went missing from his naval ship and is not traceable. I have been told that the CCTV cameras installed on the ship did not find anyone falling into the sea. Then where is my son?" Chander told PTI Videos at his residence in the outskirts of the city.
Relatives and neighbours of the family are making regular visits to express their support and praying for Verma's safe return.
Terming the seaman's disappearance as "unfortunate", the Mumbai-headquartered Western Naval Command has said a high-level board of inquiry has been ordered.
"In an unfortunate incident, Sahil Verma, Seaman II, has been reported missing at sea from (an) Indian Naval Ship whilst on deployment since February 27, 2024. The Navy immediately launched a massive search operation with ships and aircraft, which is still continuing," it said in a post on X on Saturday.
Expressing resentment over the sketchy information shared with the family, Chander said, "We got a call on February 29 informing that our son went missing on board the ship two days before that we last talked to him on Sunday (February 25) and nothing is known (about) what happened to him."
He said they want justice and know the whereabouts of his son.
"We want the government to hand over the case to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) for a thorough probe. He was on duty and is missing," he added.
Verma's mother said something is being concealed about her son's disappearance.
"There were 400 people on board the ship and only my son went missing," she said.
"My prayers and demands are only that my son returns safe and sound," she added.
Gautam, a maternal uncle of the missing seaman, said his disappearance is a fit case for a CBI probe as "we have heard that the ship returned to base for a day before leaving again".
How is it possible that he went missing from the ship?" he asked.
"The family should have been informed and a board of inquiry ordered within 24 hours of the incident. But both of these things happened after two days," Gautam added.
In an unfortunate incident, Sahil Verma, Seaman II, has been reported missing at sea from Indian Naval Ship whilst on deployment since 27 Feb 24. The Navy immediately launched a massive search operation with ships and aircraft, which is still continuing. pic.twitter.com/bEHLkhye5o
— Western Naval Command (@IN_WNC) March 2, 2024
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'Traitor' jibe: HC issues notice to police, Sena MLA on Kamra's plea against FIR
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to Mumbai police and Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel on comedian Kunal Kamra's plea challenging an FIR lodged against him for allegedly passing a "traitor" jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
A division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and S M Modak said it would hear Kamra's petition on April 16.
The comedian has failed to appear before the Mumbai police for questioning despite three summons issued to him.
Following a complaint by Sena MLA Murji Patel, the Khar police in Mumbai last month registered the FIR against Kamra under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(2) (defamation).
"Issue notice to the respondents (police and Patel). They shall take instructions and respond to the plea," the HC said.
Three FIRs registered against the comedian at Nashik Rural, Jalgaon and Nashik (Nandgaon) have also been transferred to the Khar police.
Kamra's counsel Navroz Seervai informed the Bombay HC bench that the Madras High Court on Monday extended till April 17 the earlier interim transit anticipatory bail granted to the comedian.
The petitioner has offered in writing thrice to the police to allow him to appear for questioning via video conference in light of the dangers and threat to his life, Seervai said.
"It seems that the police authorities are not so keen on recording his statement but more on bringing him here physically," the senior counsel claimed.
Kamra is presently in Tamil Nadu where he has been residing since 2021, as per his plea.
"This is not a case of murder. It is an FIR that has stemmed from a stand-up comedy show. He (Kamra) is ready to cooperate with the probe but through video conference," Seervai said.
The bench said it would consider all issues on April 16.
During the show, stand-up comedian Kamra had taunted Shinde, without taking his name, using a modified version of a Hindi song from the film "Dil To Pagal Hai" where he called him a "gaddar" (traitor).
The comedian went on to joke about how Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership (in June 2022).
In his plea filed on April 5, Kamra claimed the complaints against him were violative of his fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression, right to practice any profession and business and right to life and liberty guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
He sought for the FIR to be quashed, claiming the allegations, even if taken at face value, do not constitute an offence.
The comedian also sought the HC to protect him from any coercive action including arrest, seizure of his personal electronic devices and examination of his financial transactions and accounts.
"To permit the investigation to continue would constitute a frontal assault on the freedom of speech and expression. Should a citizen's right to comment on the political developments and actions of political leaders be criminalised in this manner?" the petition said.
Kamra said his remarks made regarding the split in the Shiv Sena, Shinde quitting Uddhav Thackeray's Sena faction and being sworn in as the chief minister at the time (in 2022) are all part of records.
The plea said the FIR has been registered on a stand-up comedy performance, which provides satirical commentary on various social and political events of the country.
There has been a gross abuse of process and the malafide deployment of the criminal justice machinery by a member of the state's legislative assembly, resulting in a patent violation of a citizen's fundamental rights, it claimed.
As per the petition, Kamra wrote the show's script in July 2024 and performed it on 60 occasions between August last year and February 2025.
A recording of the show was uploaded only in March 2025, pursuant to which case was lodged, it said.
