The family of 37-year-old J. Vivek, a seafarer from Koonimedu in the Villupuram district, is living in a state of perpetual anxiety. Vivek, who was employed on the merchant vessel M.V. PERSISTENSE, has been untraceable since March 26 this year. Distressed by the lack of communication and transparency, his family along with the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) has urgently appealed to the Central government to launch an investigation and locate him.

A Break in Communication

Vivek’s wife, V. Sneha, recounted the harrowing timeline of events. He had left home on December 23, 2025, for a five-month contract. The couple maintained a routine of speaking twice daily. However, on March 26, the calls stopped connecting. "I tried for consecutive days, and then contacted the shipping company. They promised to inform him, but he never called back," Sneha stated. The company’s repeated excuses—that the ship was sailing—have done little to quell her fears that something untoward has happened to her husband.

Questions on Repatriation and Official Apathy

The situation has taken a murky turn regarding Vivek's official status. According to FSUI vice-president T. Narendra Rao, the shipping company claims that Vivek officially signed off on May 27 in Oman. However, they have not furnished any documentary evidence proving his journey from Oman to Mumbai. This discrepancy has raised alarms about the veracity of the company's claims. "His elderly father has been running from pillar to post trying to find his only son," Rao emphasized. The union is now demanding that the Directorate General of Shipping and the Ministry of External Affairs step in to verify the facts and ensure Vivek's safe return.