File photo of Sunil James and his wife Aditi with Vivaan
For the family of Sunil James, a 36-year-old merchant ship captain, it's been one tragedy after another. In July this year his ship was attacked near Togo in Western Africa. But days later, James was detained and arrested on charges of aiding the pirates.
Now, Vivaan, his 11-month-old baby has died in a Mumbai hospital and all that his wife Aditi (31) wants is for her husband to return and see his little one for one last time. Vivaan was operated upon for intestinal gangrene but the infection spread into his bloodstream and he died of septicemia on December 2, Mr James's brother-in-law Rakesh Madappa told NDTV.
"Vivaan has been kept in the morgue at the hospital. We just want Sunil to return for the funeral and complete the rites," Mr Madappa said.
But for the family, their trauma began on July 16 when pirates attacked Mr James' ship MT Ocean Centurion. News then trickled in that Mr James and two others had been arrested.
"We have been running from pillar to post. But there is just no help from the External Affairs Ministry (MEA). All that they have been saying is that they will do something. My family got zero help from the government. Fed up I took a long leave and went to Togo myself in September and stayed there for 25 days even hiring my own lawyer," Mr Madappa explains, adding Mr James was first tortured by the pirates and then lost 15 kg in the custody of the Togo police known as Genda Marine.
Meanwhile, Aditi too was trying to contact the Indian High Commission in Ghana since India has none in Togo.
The Ministry of External Affairs this evening said that they have written to the family assuring them of all efforts to pursue the matter and that an official from the Indian Mission in Accra is being sent to Lome to work along with Honorary Consuls to secure the release.
Milind Deora, the Congress MP from Mumbai South, also tweeted "For those interested in #CaptJames's story, I've instructed DG-Shipping to work with MEA & Accord Marine (the sailor's employer) to explore parole options that allow Capt James to visit India & conduct the last rites of his child. GoI always stands by its seafarers (sic)."