Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Indian Embassy at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, to take steps to bring back the body of Kanyakumari fisherman, Mathi Valan, at the earliest.
Solatium
She announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deceased fisherman.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, she brought to his attention the tragic incident which occurred on the high seas off the coast of Saudi Arabia in which the fisherman was shot dead by unidentified persons while fishing along with seven other fishermen.
They had reportedly left the fishing base of Jubail in Saudi Arabia, on May 29 and were engaged in fishing in a fishing vessel ‘Subial Surkey’ owned by Mohammed Mubarak Bahuth of Saudi Arabia when this tragic incident happened.
The seven other fishermen are also from Kanyakumari district.
The body of the deceased fisherman is now reportedly kept in a government hospital in Saudi Arabia.
The fishermen were working in Saudi Arabia on contract basis when this unfortunate incident took place.
These poor and innocent fishermen who had gone there as fishing labourers on contract were eking out their meagre livelihood to support their families back in India.
The sudden demise of the fisherman and the tragic circumstances surrounding his death has put his family to great financial and mental hardship, she said and asked Mr. Modi to direct the officials of the Indian Embassy to take up this matter with the employer and to ensure that the terminal monetary benefits due to the deceased fisherman are released to his family without delay.
