Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 27: A 52-year-old Indian fisherman, Gaurav Ram Anand, was found dead in his cell at Malir Jail in Karachi, Pakistan. Authorities suspect suicide as the cause of death, according to jail officials.
Jail Superintendent Arshad Hussain confirmed the incident, stating that Anand allegedly hanged himself in the washroom of the barrack where Indian fishermen are detained. The prison doctor declared him dead around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday night. His body has since been moved to the Edhi Trust mortuary, where necessary formalities are being completed.
Once official procedures at the government level are finalized, Anand’s body will be handed over to his family.
Anand had been incarcerated in Malir Jail since February 2022 after being arrested for allegedly fishing illegally in Pakistani waters. The detention of Indian fishermen in Pakistan, and vice versa, remains a long-standing issue between the two nations. Despite periodic diplomatic gestures, including prisoner exchanges, many fishermen continue to be caught in legal limbo.
In February 2022, several Indian fishermen were released from Malir Jail and handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border as a goodwill measure. However, an estimated 190 Indian fishermen still remain imprisoned in Pakistani jails, many of whom belong to the Gir Somnath district of Gujarat.
Officials from the Edhi Foundation and Ansar Burney Welfare Trust—organizations actively involved in the welfare and repatriation of prisoners—have highlighted that many detained Indian fishermen suffer from severe depression and anxiety due to prolonged imprisonment and uncertainty over their release.
The Edhi Foundation and the Ansar Burney Trust continue to facilitate the repatriation process, working alongside the authorities to secure the release of fishermen and ensure their transportation back to India via the Wagah border.
Anand’s tragic death underscores the dire mental health conditions faced by imprisoned fishermen, bringing renewed focus on the urgent need for faster diplomatic negotiations to prevent such incidents in the future.