The body of a 36-year-old Gujarat fisherman, Bhagabhai Bambhaniya, who died in a Pakistani jail last month, has been brought back to his native village in Gir Somnath district. The fisherman had already served his full sentence nearly three years ago.
Bambhaniya was a resident of Chikhli village in Una taluka of the district, died of cardiac arrest at a jail in Karachi on January 16, said OA Makrani, a fisheries official from Jafrabad.
“His body was handed over to a team from the fisheries department at the Indo-Pakistan border in Wagah (Punjab). It was transported by a plane to Ahmedabad and then brought to his native village via road on Saturday,” Makrani said.
Bambhaniya was apprehended by the Pakistani authorities on February 18, 2022, after his fishing boat ‘Burak’ inadvertently crossed the international maritime boundary during a fishing expedition in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced. However, he continued to languish in jail long after serving his sentence in 2022. His health suddenly deteriorated in jail, and he died of a heart attack.
After a considerable delay, and following the completion of procedures between the governments of both countries, the fisherman’s body was brought back to India, said the officials.
Peace activists voiced concerns —
Despite the bilateral Agreement on Consular Access, 2008, between the two nations, the fisherman was kept in jail, in what peace activists have called a violation of human rights.
As per section 5 of the 2008 agreement, “Both the governments agree to release and repatriate persons within one month of confirmation of their national status and completion of sentences.”
The development came less than a month after a group of people from the fishing community in Diu submitted a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, drawing his attention to the issue.
“Most of these fishermen belong to Gujarat, Diu, and Maharashtra. Around 160 of them have already completed their sentences, and their Indian nationality has also been confirmed long ago,” they said.
The detention of Indian fishermen despite completing their sentence has left families without communication for years, causing deep distress. It has also raised serious concerns regarding their health and well-being, the letter said.
“We request you to kindly look into this matter and take necessary steps to secure their release and repatriation,” said the letter dated December 22, 2025.
Currently, 198 Indian fishermen, including 19 from Maharashtra, are in Karachi jail, said peace activist Jatin Desai, who has been taking up the issue of Indian fishermen jailed in Pakistan after inadvertently crossing the international maritime border during fishing trips.
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