Ahmedabad, 15 January 2014

Fisherman Bhikha Lakha Shiyal (35) from Garal village in Junagadh district, died on December 19, 2013 in a Pakistan’s Karachi jail due to undisclosed reasons. The body of Shiyal was still in Pakistan and yet to be brought to the country even after 27 days. Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani in his letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday wrote this and requested for financial assistance to the two orphaned children of Shiyal on humanitarian ground. The deceased, whose wife had died about two years ago, is survived by a 15-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son.

Shiyal and several other fishermen, were arrested by the Pakistani marine security agency in the Arabian sea on October 25 last year for straying into Pakistani waters while fishing.

According to S K Nanda, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), the Gujarat government will take up with the Centre the issue of bringing back the body of Shiyal. Gujarat Fisheries Commissioner P L Darbar had also earlier said that the state authorities had sent all the relevant documents, confirming Shiyal’s identity, to the Union External Affairs Ministry.