A 52-year-old Indian fisherman, Gaurav Ram Anand, who had been lodged in Pakistan’s Malir jail since 2022, allegedly died by suicide on Wednesday, according to a report by Dawn.com.
Incident Details
Jail superintendent Arshad Husain stated that Anand “hanged himself” with a rope in the bathroom of the prison barracks. “In the barracks, all the Indian prisoners are confined,” Husain said, adding that the fisherman went to the washroom on Tuesday night and ended his life.
The jail authorities confirmed that a duty doctor examined the prisoner and declared him dead at 2:20 a.m. local time (2:50 a.m. IST). A magistrate then conducted an inquest and directed that the body be kept at the Edhi Foundation’s cold storage facility in Sohrab Goth until legal procedures were completed.
Background and Previous Detentions
Anand was arrested in February 2022 by the Docks police and was subsequently jailed in Malir by the West Karachi magistrate later that same month. Many Indian fishermen are frequently detained in Pakistani waters due to unclear maritime boundaries and the lack of navigation technology on fishing boats.
The report also highlighted that in February this year, 22 Indian fishermen who were released from Malir jail were handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah Border.
An official response from the Indian government regarding Anand’s death is awaited. The incident has once again raised concerns about the conditions and treatment of Indian fishermen detained in Pakistan.
Sources By Agencies
