NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Union govt to solve the tragic mystery of Capt Ashish Kumar, who went missing after a missile attack on his ship, MT Skylight, in the Strait of Hormuz on March 1.He was presumed dead after bones were found in the burnt-out captain’s cabin. But DNA tests later showed that the remains were not his.His wife Anshu Kumari petitioned SC, claiming that the DNA test and medical evidence invalidate the presumption of his death.
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She said, “The survival and captivity of Kumar are strongly evidenced by ransom calls received by the petitioner on March 4, three days after the incident, from international numbers (including UAE and Pakistan) demanding Rs 20 lakh. Moreover, WhatsApp messages were delivered in Kumar’s phone hours after the vessel was destroyed.”Captain’s wife claims lack of proper probeHis WhatsApp profile was manually deleted on March 31, said Captain Ashish Kumar’s wife“These electronic footprints strongly suggest the physical operation of his device post-incident. Despite these glaring indicators of life and extortion, Union govt has failed to initiate a specialised investigation or utilise diplomatic channels to trace the missing citizen,” she complained.A bench led by CJI Surya Kant asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta to inquire about Kumar’s whereabouts and file a status report. The SG said he would respond by Monday.
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