Mr. Roshan Raj, who had been employed on board vessel M.V. East Express had been sailing since February 2021. However, the owners ceased operations of the vessel, which was in the port of Misrata, Libya since January 2022.

MUI maintained rigorous daily communication with officials in Libya, as well as the Embassy of India in Libya and ITF, as well as Roshan Raj, and air ticket was issued from Libya upto Mumbai by ITF. MUI arranged for his visa, transport and stay in Mumbai, air and bus tickets to his home. He was warmly received by MUI at the airport after being on ship for nineteen months in breach of MLC 2006.

Captain Tushar Pradhan – General Secretary and entire MUI team actively participated to co-ordinate with Roshan, ITF, Embassy of India in Libya and Tripoli, Directorate General of Shipping to ensure his earliest return home.

Roshan Raj was introduced with Mr. Amitabh Kumar – Director General of Shipping, who inquired about his experience.

His return home by air via Istanbul was flawless and he has now reached home to be with parents and family. He was on board for a total of nineteen months and abandoned for nine months.

After his ship was abandoned, he had a very tough time on board, going through mental stress since he was not paid his full salary and moreover, ship owners did not provide any co-operation to sign-off. On board provisions were very limited and meals were cooked just once a day.

Drinking water was scarce and there were times when he had to boil and drink water which was not fit for consumption. Seafarers from mixed nationalities were on board, and even though he did not have any personal issues onboard, social interaction and language limitations resulted in extreme sense of hopelessness.

Marex Media