Lieutenant Aritra Sinha, an officer of the Indian Navy who had travelled to Israel for training, is currently stranded in Tel Aviv as escalating conflict in the region has led to the closure of Israeli airspace. Sinha, a resident of Mallarpur village in Birbhum, West Bengal, was scheduled to return to India last Friday but has been unable to do so due to missile attacks from Iran.
The young naval officer, posted in Visakhapatnam, has been staying in a hotel in Tel Aviv since the situation deteriorated. His family remains in constant contact with him over the phone, though concerns are mounting with each passing day.
Joy Sankar Sinha, Aritra’s father, said, “My son went to Israel for training on May 3. Everything was normal then. But now the flight he was supposed to take has been cancelled. We’re in touch, and he tells us he’s safe. The hotels have bunkers and he moves there when sirens go off. But hearing about attacks on the American embassy is very disturbing.”
Aritra is an alumnus of Purulia Sainik School and joined the Indian Navy in 2022. His father, who runs a private security agency, said his association with defence personnel inspired him to encourage his son to join the armed forces.
Aritra’s mother, Anima Sinha, added, “He has always been a brave child. Whenever we talk to him, he reassures us, but avoids telling us much about the actual situation. He even tells us not to watch the news. Still, how can a mother stop worrying?”
The family has appealed to the Indian government to take urgent steps for the safe and timely return of Aritra and other Indian citizens stranded in Israel due to the conflict.
