Traffic along the Poovar-Vizhinjam coastal highway was disrupted for several hours on Monday with local people laying siege to the road, alleging government apathy in bringing back the body of a fisherman who died off Gujarat coast on Saturday.
The alleged delay in adopting steps to transport the body of Rajumon, 38, of Kochuthura, who was reported to have died while fishing, resulted in the fishing community of Kochuthura stalling traffic at Kochuthura from 6.30 a.m. onwards.
He had set off in a fishing boat with some other fishermen from the Karnataka coast on January 11 and was expected to return in a week.
The agitators alleged that the authorities adopted a passive stance towards their demand. Rajumon’s body, which had begun to decompose, was kept in an ice-box that was generally used to store fish.
Demand for a copter
The relatives of the deceased have been pressing for urgent steps to transport the body in a helicopter.
Efforts that were made by Kovalam MLA M. Vincent, revenue and police officials to persuade the agitators to withdraw their agitation were futile, as they resolved to stay put until concrete steps were adopted to meet their demand.
Later, District Collector K. Vasuki held a discussion with the deceased fisherman’s relatives. She informed them that the fishing boat was escorted to the Jaigarh port in Maharashtra by Coast Guard and that the body had been shifted to a hospital, for conduct of post-mortem examination.
She gave assurances that the body would be brought to Kochuthura at the earliest in an ambulance. The agitation was called off by around 5 p.m.
