Navy hiding facts from us: Lt Commander Shishir Kumar’s father

Visakhapatnam: It has been exactly two months that Lt Commander Shishir Kumar  went missing after a Torpedo Recovery Vessel (TRV) of the Indian Navy, he was on board, sank off Vizag coast and his family is unable to come to terms that he is no more.

Shishir’s father, 75 year-old Shivarudra Yadavappu Yadavannavar, who retired as a clerk with Indian Army spoke to Deccan Chronicle from Belgavi and said his family is still in a state of shock and now wants to know the facts about what led to the sinking of the vessel on that unfortunate night.

He is dejected that the naval authorities are not sharing any information about the episode while it is their  right to know. He has been writing letters to the President of India, Prime Minister, defence minister and the naval authorities.

A weapon officer of the National Armament Inspection Office of Eastern Naval Command (ENC) attached to NSTL, Lt Commander Shishir Kumar Y, 36, is one among the four navymen, who are still untraceable after TRV- A-72 sank on the night of November 6, last year. Of total 28 people on board, one died and four went missing and remaining were rescued.

“It’s our right to know what led to the mishap. We were not allowed to talk to any of the rescued persons. If we could talk to them, we would have known what happened to my son during the critical situation. Recently, I got a reply from the office of the President of India, which said my letter will be forwarded to the defence minister. Is this the way a father of such a brave officer is treated?” he questioned.

Shishir’s elder brother Sharadkumar Yadavannavar said that his brother was an honest and dynamic officer. 

“The Navy should salvage the vessel and the probe should be carried out carefully. It should also fix the responsibility for the mishap. We think some vital facts about the mishap have been kept secret from us,” said Mr Yadavannavar