KOCHI: Eleven days have passed since their son went missing mysteriously from the ship he was working on. Relatives and friends frequent their house, trying to console Benny P J and Sheeja but they spend most of the time praying in front of the home altar.
Shinton Benny, a 24-year-old mariner from Njarackal in Ernakulam district, had joined the Japanese-flagged car carrier vessel M V Victorious Ace as a deck trainee on March 21 this year and was scheduled to sign off from duty in September. On August 12, Shinton did not report for the scheduled tool-box meeting at the ship’s office at 8 am and the chief officer ordered a search. Employees who checked his accommodation, deck areas, and engine room reported at 9.25 that he was missing.
The ship issued a distress alert and reversed its course to proceed the past track towards the position where Shinton was last spotted at 9.30 pm on August 11. At 1 pm, the shipping office -- MOL Maritime (India) Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Mitsui OSK Lines -- contacted Benny and his other son Sharon over the phone, informing them that Shinton had gone missing the previous night.
According to the information shared by the external affairs minister’s under secretary, Bibhuti Nath Pandey, to Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, there were no reports of disputes, arguments, onboard conflict, bullying, disciplinary issues, or other interpersonal issues with fellow crew members.
“There were no indications of personal, emotional or mental health concerns, stress, depression, etc that may explain Shinton’s disappearance. There was no indication that he had shared any personal concerns or difficulties with other crew members.
No suicide note was found. With the exception of one silver ring, virtually all personal belongings were found remaining in the cabin -- including his mobile phones, laptop, and travel documents,” the communique said. According to the master and crew members, Shinton was polite, diligent, eager to learn, and had performed his duties satisfactorily. He was regarded as a hardworking, co-operative, and well-behaved crew member.
“Shinton was closely connected with us and he was eagerly looking forward to meeting us next month. He calls us twice a day, at 6 am and 9 pm, and shares everything. As a child he had aspired to become a seafarer and was excited when he got placement,” said Benny who toiled hard as an autorickshaw driver to raise his children, with the older of the two, Sharon, working as a tourist bus driver.
“He completed the mariner’s course at CIFNET in Visakhapatnam and had internship at CIFNET Kochi. The six-month General Purpose Rating course was completed in Chennai. Initially, he had complaints about the master of the ship who used to scold and humiliate Shinton unnecessarily. But the new master was one Joel from Chalakudy who was very friendly and appreciated his sincerity,” Benny said.
Shinton turned 24 on August 15 and the family was planning to celebrate his birthday. “On August 11, he called at 9 pm and spoke extensively. He was very calm and happy that the master was giving him new responsibilities. At 9.30 pm, an employee spotted him on the deck. We don’t know what happened to him after 9.30 pm on August 11. The ministry of external affairs has written to Thailand and they have started investigating. The incident occurred between Singapore and Indonesia. Every day, I wake up hoping to hear the news that my sone is safe,” Benny said.
The ship operator has informed Benny that Shinton’s belongings have been kept at the Chennai office of MOL Maritime. “We will not collect them until the authorities clarify what happened to my son,” Benny said.
Meanwhile, Hibi Eden said he has been in touch with the Directorate General of maritime administration. “They are tracking the search operations. The fact that there hasn’t been any information about the missing seafarer even after 11 days exposes the lethargic attitude of the authorities,” the MP said.
