Uttar Pradesh, India: The family of a Merchant Navy employee who went missing from a ship near Istanbul, Türkiye, has sought urgent India government intervention to trace him, saying they have received no information about his whereabouts since 25 July.
Ram Chandra Dubey's father, Ramesh Chandra Dubey, said the family last spoke to him on 24 July, when everything appeared normal. He alleged that the company informed them about his disappearance only the following day.
Ramesh Chandra said his son had travelled to Istanbul through Deloship, a Delhi-Noida-based company, and was working as a sailor on a vessel. His initial six-month contract was later extended to nine months and subsequently by another one or two months.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "Ram Chandra had gone to Istanbul, Türkiye, through the Deloship company, which is based in Delhi-Noida. He was working there on a ship as a sailor. His contract was initially for six months, but they later extended it to nine months. His nine-month contract was supposed to end on 25 June. After that, they extended his time by another month or two."
"We last spoke with him on 24 July, and everything seemed fine. Since 25 July, we haven't heard from him. The concern is that the company has only said they are missing. They didn't even tell us on the 25th; they informed us at 1 p.m. on the 26th," he added.
He alleged that the company has not provided adequate information about the incident and has asked the family to contact other authorities.
"There's no contact happening with the company. When we ask, they tell us to ask elsewhere. They aren't providing any proper information. They just told us that Ram Chandra and another person named Deepak Kumar Gupta are missing from the ship; they said they are missing from the vessel," he said.
He alleged that the company did not inform the family about the incident on the same day and later told them that Ram Chandra and another person, Deepak Kumar Gupta, were missing from the vessel.
Ramesh Chandra appealed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to intervene and help trace his son.
"I want immediate news of him. If we get news quickly, it will bring peace to our home. You can see his mother's condition; everyone's condition is bad. Through you, I am requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, S. Jaishankar, Rajnath Singh, the Home Minister, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to help find my son as soon as possible and provide us with information," he said.
Ram Chandra's elder sister, Seemakashi Pandey, also urged authorities to speed up the search and rescue operation, saying the family has not received any update since his disappearance.
Pandey said Ram Chandra joined through the Deloship company on 25 September 2025. She said his nine-month contract was extended by two months and he was expected to sign off on 12 September.
She said Ram Chandra spoke to their parents on the night of 24 July and did not mention any problem.
"Ram Chandra Dubey is my younger brother; I am his elder sister. He joined through the Deloship company on 25 September 2025. He had a nine-month contract, but he was supposed to sign off by 12 September because his contract was extended by two months," she said.
She said the family has been in constant contact with the company but has only been asked to remain patient as the search continues.
"Everything was fine until the 24th [of July]. He spoke with our mother and father on the night of 24 July; everything was okay, and there was no mention of any trouble from his side. But when the incident happened on 25 July, it was the company's negligence that they did not inform us that same day. They informed us the next day that such an incident had occurred and your brother, Ram Chandra Dubey, and Deepak Kumar Gupta, two persons, are missing," Pandey said.
She said the family has remained in contact with the company but has only been asked to wait while search operations continue.
"Since then, we have had no news. There is no news of my brother. We are constantly in contact with the company, but they just tell us to have patience, saying he is missing and they are searching. We don't see any significant results from the government's side either. They just say, 'Search and rescue operation is underway.' It has been 10 days now, and there is no trace or news," she said.
