Thu Mar 27 12:27:53 UTC 2025: ## Indian Fisherman Dies by Suicide in Pakistani Jail

**KARACHI, PAKISTAN –** A 52-year-old Indian fisherman, Gaurav Ram Anand, died by suicide in Malir Jail, Karachi, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, according to jail officials. Anand, who had been imprisoned since February 2022 for allegedly illegal fishing in Pakistani waters, was found dead in his barrack’s washroom. A prison doctor declared him dead at approximately 2:30 AM. His body has been transferred to the Edhi Trust mortuary pending repatriation to his family in Gujarat, India, after official procedures are completed.

The incident highlights the plight of Indian fishermen imprisoned in Pakistan. Jail Superintendent Arshad Hussain stated that many of the approximately 190 Indian fishermen currently detained in Malir Jail, primarily from the Gir Somnath area of Gujarat, suffer from depression and anxiety. An official from the Edhi Foundation, which assists Indian prisoners in Pakistan, confirmed this, noting the significant mental health toll of imprisonment. The Edhi Foundation and Ansar Burney Trust work to support these fishermen, facilitating their release and repatriation when possible.

While prisoner exchanges between India and Pakistan are routine, Anand’s death underscores the need for improved conditions and mental health support for Indian fishermen incarcerated in Pakistan. The two countries regularly exchange prisoners, often fishermen arrested for straying into each other’s territorial waters.

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