The family of Aditya Sharma, a young seafarer from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district who was killed in an attack on the Palau-flagged vessel MT Settebello near the Strait of Hormuz, has appealed to the Centre for the swift return of his mortal remains and a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Aditya Sharma, who was serving as a deck cadet on the vessel, was among three crew members who lost their lives in the incident. According to reports, 24 Indian crew members were onboard the MT Settebello. While 21 were rescued, three were killed in what has been described as an alleged US attack on the commercial vessel.
Expressing grief and seeking answers, Aditya’s father, Rajesh Sharma, urged authorities to intervene. He appealed to Member of Parliament Anurag Thakur, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help bring back his son's mortal remains.
Rajesh Sharma also demanded an investigation into the incident, questioning the circumstances that led to the deaths. He specifically sought clarity on why the vessel was allegedly taken towards a high-risk zone and whether adequate precautions were followed.
The victim’s cousin echoed the family’s concerns, stating that the Ministry of External Affairs had confirmed Aditya’s death along with that of two other crew members. He questioned who would be held accountable for the tragedy and whether the ship’s operators had obtained consent from crew members before sailing through the sensitive Strait of Hormuz. He also raised questions about the captain’s decisions and whether seafarers unwilling to undertake the voyage were given an opportunity to disembark.
Meanwhile, Hamirpur Tehsildar Saurabh said the district administration had taken up the matter with the Central government. He added that the Deputy Commissioner had assured the family of all possible assistance during this difficult time.
