Body of Fisherman Found Dead in Pakistani Jail to be Repatriated to Maharashtra

PALGHAR: The body of a 45-year-old fisherman from a village in Maharashtra's coastal Palghar district, who died in Karachi jail in Pakistan, is likely to be brought back home in the next couple of days, an activist said.

The fisherman, Vinod Laxman Koal from Goratpada village in Dahanu taluka of the district, was caught by the Pakistan agencies for entering the waters of the neighbouring country in October 2022. He was then lodged in a jail in Karachi, where he suffered a paralysis attack on March 8 this year and died during treatment on March 17, said Jatin Desai, a representative of the social organisation working for Indian prisoners jailed in Pakistan.

Other Indian prisoners in the jail managed to convey the message about his death to Koal's family members, who took up the matter with the local MLA, who then raised the issue with the government, he said.

A family member of the deceased fisherman said the family has been waiting for his body. Desai said Koal's mortal remains are likely to reach Dahanu within a couple of days by following all the protocols.

The body will be brought from Pakistan to Dahanu via Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai, he said.

According to Desai, a total of 35 fishermen hailing from Maharashtra and Gujarat languishing in Pakistani jails, including five from Dahanu, will be released soon and sent back home.