Indian fisherman dies by suicide in Karachi prison

An Indian fisherman died by suicide at a prison in Karachi’s Malir area on Wednesday, according to jail administration.

Indian fishermen are frequently detained for illegal fishing since the maritime boundary is said to be poorly marked at some points, and many boats lack the technology to fix their precise location.

Malir Jail Superintendent Arshad Husain told Dawn.com that Gaurav Ram Anand, 52, hanged himself with a rope in the bathroom of the prison barracks

“In the barracks, all the Indian prisoners are confined,” Husain said. “He [the fisherman] went to the washroom on Tuesday night and ended his life.”

The jailer added that the duty doctor examined the prisoner and declared him dead at 2:20am. Afterwards, a magistrate conducted the inquest and ordered that the body be kept at the Edhi Foundation’s cold storage facility at Sohrab Goth until legal formalities and further orders are concluded.

The deceased was arrested in February 2022 by Docks police and was jailed in Malir by the West Karachi magistrate later that month.

Last month, as many as 22 Indian fishermen, who were released from Malir jail on February 22, were handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah Border.

The fishermen were released after completing their sentences for unintentionally crossing into Pakistan’s territorial waters.