Mumbai: The body of a fisherman from Dahanu in Palghar district of Maharashtra, who was said to have died in a Pakistani jail on March 17, will be brought to his village on April 29.
The deceased, identified as Vinod Laxman Kaul (45), was a resident of Goratpada village in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district. He works on a fishing boat registered in Gujarat and was arrested by Pakistan Coast Guard in October 2022 on suspicion of trespassing into Pakistani territorial waters.
Cole suffered a paralysis attack on March 8, collapsed while taking a bath, and died while being treated at a hospital in a Pakistani prison.
Other Indian prisoners were informed of his death on March 17, and then, with the informal assistance of prison officials, relayed the message of Cole’s death to his family in Goratpada.
Concerned that the bodies of the fishermen were not being sent, the families sought help from the local MLA, and the Center took up the matter. Afterwards, Pakistani officials conducted a follow-up investigation and the bodies were brought to India. I agreed to send it. .
His body will be handed over to Indian authorities on April 29, said Jatin Desai, head of a social group working for prisoners in Pakistan.
Desai said Indian government officials were informed of the death of an Indian prisoner, whose name was Vinod Laxman. Initially, government officials tried to search for his family, assuming he was a resident of Gujarat. Although the attempt was unsuccessful, they found his name among the list of prisoners from Maharashtra.
Desai said the body would be handed over to Indian officials in Amritsar and from there it would be taken to Dahanu.
Cole is survived by his wife, three daughters, and two sons. One of his daughters is married. The Aadhaar card lists the deceased’s age as 57 years old, but his relatives claim this is incorrect and that he was 45 years old.
Meanwhile, 35 of the approximately 300 fishermen held in Pakistani prisons were released on April 30 and are about to be handed over to Indian authorities.
Five of the 35 people are from Dahanu in Palghar district. The fishermen are scheduled to return to their homes in the first week of May.
