Indian fisherman in Pakistan's Karachi Jail since 2022 dies by suicide

Indian fishermen are frequently detained in Pakistani waters due to unintentionally crossing maritime boundaries

A 52-year-old Indian fisherman, Gaurav Ram Anand, died by suicide at a jail in Pakistan's Karachi city on Wednesday, according to a report by Dawn.

 

Malir Jail Superintendent Arshad Husain confirmed the death, stating that the prisoner hanged himself with a rope on Tuesday night. “He went to the washroom and ended his life,” Husain said, as quoted by Dawn.

 

The prison’s duty doctor later examined Anand and declared him dead at 2:20 am. Following standard procedure, a magistrate conducted an inquest and ordered that the body be placed in cold storage at the Edhi Foundation facility in Sohrab Goth until further legal processes are completed.

 

Anand was arrested in February 2022 by Karachi’s Docks police for allegedly crossing into Pakistani waters illegally. He was later sentenced and detained in Malir Jail under the orders of the West Karachi magistrate.

 

Indian fisherman frequently detained in Pakistan

Indian fishermen are frequently detained in Pakistani waters due to poorly defined maritime boundaries and the lack of advanced navigation technology on many fishing boats. Inadvertent crossings often result in their arrest and imprisonment for violating territorial waters.

 

In a Lok Sabha response in December 2024, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that around 209 fishermen were detained in Pakistan. Of these 209, 51 fishermen have been in Pakistani jails since 2021, 130 since 2022; nine since 2023; and 19 since 2024. The ministry also shared that the majority (134) of these fishermen were from Gujarat, while smaller numbers hailed from Daman and Diu (24), Maharashtra (18), and Uttar Pradesh (17), among others.

 

The ministry stated that all measures were taken to secure the release and return of the fisherman, adding that 2,639 Indian fishermen have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014.

 

Last month, 22 Indian fishermen were released from Malir Jail after completing their sentences and were handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah Border on February 22. Their release was part of routine repatriation efforts for fishermen arrested for unintentional border violations.