Mumbai: The mother of an Indian Navy sailor who died 23 years ago at sea under mysterious circumstances has been fighting a lone battle to know the truth about her son’s death.

Anuradha Ashok Paldhe has now sought Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s intervention in her fight for justice.

Her son, Amar Ashok Paldhe, was 25 years old and worked as a Seaman-I (clearance diver) in the Indian Navy. He died while participating in a peace-time Helo Jumping (helicopter) operation at Kakinada Coast, under the Eastern Naval Command in September 1993.

On September 21 1993, his parents were informed that he had gone missing while participating in the operation.

The next day, they were informed that his body had been found by fishermen on the Kakinada Coast.

Though the Navy showed normal courtesies, the real cause of death was not disclosed.

At a press conference held here, the sailor’s mother Paldhe said: “Under the guise of confidentiality of defence services, the response to any inquiry in that respect was evasive.”

What was worse was that the parents, having come to know about the existence of two serious injuries found on the body, tried to inquire further but did not get any response from the Navy.

The only recourse to their grief and to know the truth was to approach the court.

A case was filed in 1994 and in 1997, the Kakinada Sessions Court gave a verdict stating the sailor had died under “mysterious circumstances” and the Navy should conduct a probe into it.

No inquiry came into force and in the meantime she lost her husband on March 13, 2007.

Later the Hyderabad High Court, in April 2013, while dismissing an appeal filed by the Navy stated, “The cumulative effect of all these acts and omissions is that the death of the son of the plaintiff occurred under suspicious and mysterious circumstance.”

The court also gave a ruling that compensation should also be paid.

Not bothered about the compensation, Anuradha filed a writ petition in the High Court and finally the court on June 7 2016 ordered a fresh probe in to the death of Amar.

The court stated: “For the foregoing reasons the writ petition is disposed of directing the respondent—the Naval Authorities—to constitute a fresh Board of Inquiry (BOI) and such exercise may be completed within a period of six months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order and communicate the findings of BOI to the petitioner who is the mother of the deceased Sailor Amar Ashok Paldhe.”

That brought great relief to her but the struggle is not over yet, she says.

In her letter to Parrikar following the court direction, Anuradha states, “I have been fighting a long and tedious battle of 23 years in search for truth and to seek justice for my 25-year-old deceased son. I hope and sincerely believe that at least now wise counsel would prevail in the Indian Navy and they will hold fresh a BOI at the earliest as directed by the Honourable High Court.”

She said her experience of the last 23 years has compelled her to bring this matter in public domain as she is afraid that even now they might not yield to her lone voice and do the needful.

“I pray and hope that my voice will not go unheard this time,” she wrote to the minister.