- Aditya Sharma killed in US strike after harassment complaints
- Family asks why Aditya stayed aboard despite distress calls
- 21 of 24 Indian crew rescued; government aiding return of remains
Aditya Sharma, the 23-year-old deck cadet from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh who was killed when a US military strike targeted the MT Settebello near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, had attempted to resign from the vessel as far back as April after repeatedly complaining of harassment by a senior officer on board, according to an HT report. His family has preserved records of those distress conversations.
Aditya’s father, Rajesh Sharma, made the disclosure through a post on X, the report said. The family is now questioning not only the circumstances of his death but why he was on the vessel at all given the complaints he had raised months earlier.
Originally contracted for six months, Aditya had been due to sign off on May 24. He had reluctantly agreed to extend his stay by two months solely to complete half of his mandatory training period before coming home, according to the report.
Amar TL, a crewing assistant at World Maritime Energy Private Limited, through which Aditya was serving on the vessel, denied any wrongdoing on the company’s part. Speaking on behalf of the company, he said no one had been forced to do anything and that the company was awaiting the captain’s official statement, the report noted.
The family spent Wednesday waiting for a call that never came. The last message Rajesh received from his son arrived just an hour before the MT Settebello was struck. Around 9 pm, they received word that the vessel had been attacked and three crew members were missing, the report added.
Of the 24 Indian crew members on board when the tanker was hit, 21 were rescued by Omani forces. Aditya and two other Indian sailors did not survive.
Aditya’s uncle, Himanshu Sharma, described a frantic night spent trying to reach the shipping company, which he said kept the family in the dark until formal confirmation of the young man’s death came around 2am on Thursday, the report said. He called the attack on a commercial vessel an inhuman act and a crime against humanity, and appealed to the government to ensure the mortal remains are brought home at the earliest.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu extended his condolences and directed the Hamirpur district administration to support the family. Local MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpal confirmed that MP Anurag Thakur is coordinating with the ministry of external affairs to facilitate the return of the mortal remains, the report added.
