27 April,2024 04:41 PM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondent
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The body of a 45-year-old fisherman from a coastal village in Maharashtra's Palghar district, who passed away in a Karachi jail in Pakistan, is expected to be repatriated to his hometown in the coming days, as confirmed by an activist.
The deceased, Vinod Laxman Koal of Goratpada village in Dahanu taluka, was apprehended by Pakistani police in October 2022 for allegedly trespassing in their territorial waters. He was later incarcerated in a Karachi jail, where he suffered a stroke on March 8 this year and died on March 17, according to Jatin Desai, a representative of a social movement dedicated to assisting Indian prisoners in Pakistan, PTI reported
According to the report, Koal's family was informed of his death by other Indian captives in the same jail and they instantly sought aid from the local MLA who pushed the issue with the government thus facilitating the repatriation of Koal's mortal remains.
Koal's family was told of his death by other Indian captives in the same jail. They instantly sought aid from the local MLA, who pushed the issue with the government, facilitating the repatriation of Koal's remains.
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A relative of the deceased fisherman expressed their anguish, saying that the family had been eagerly expecting the repatriation of Koal's remains.
Desai further stated that efforts are being made to transport Koal's dead remains from Pakistan to Dahanu while keeping to all essential norms. The route is planned to involve stops in Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Mumbai before arriving at the final destination.
Desai also relayed positive news that a group of 35 fishermen, including five from Dahanu, who are currently held in Pakistani jails, will be released soon and reunited with their families in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
According to another agency report, in 2022, the Pakistani authorities arrested 16 Indian fishermen of which seven were from Palghar's Dahanu. Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA from Palghar, Vinod Nikole sought intervention of the Maharashtra government for their release. Pakistani authorities had allegedly arrested the fishermen for being "well inside Pakistani waters" and thereby violating "Pakistani Law and UN Convention of Law at Sea".
