Tamil Nadu seeks Centre's help, asks to bring remains of two fishermen who died in Saudi Arabia

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said two fishermen from the state had died in Saudi Arabia and sought diplomatic assistance from the Centre to bring back their mortal remains.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that three fishermen -- J George, P Nevil and V Joseph -- of Kaniyakumari district went for fishing from Darin fishing base in Saudi Arabia on March 17 in a vessel owned by a Saudi national and had met with a mishap the next day.

The bodies of George and Joseph were recovered and a search was on for Nevil, "who is still missing," he said.

"The families of these fishermen are traumatised after knowing about the tragedy and are seeking expeditious diplomatic assistance in the search and rescue of Nevil and transportation of the mortal remains of the deceased to Tamil Nadu and obtaining financial assistance from their employers," he told Modi in a letter.

He requested the PM to direct the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to take urgent steps to arrange for necessary search and rescue operations and transportation of the mortal remains of the deceased.

"I also request you to kindly direct the Indian Embassy to take up this matter with the employer concerned and ensure that the monetary benefits due to all the three fishermen are released to their families without any delay," he said.

In a separate letter, the Chief Minister took up the arrest of 35 Indian fishermen employed in Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia, and apprehended by Iranian authorities in different instances last year.

All of them were working on contract basis under the sponsor's of local employers and had on different occasions, "inadvertently" strayed into Iranian waters, where they were apprehended, he said.

He sought Modi's immediate intervention to instruct the Indian Embassies in Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran to take effective legal steps to secure their immediate release.

"The prolonged incarceration of these poor fishermen who went abroad to earn their livelihood severely affects their families and dependents who are suffering economically and also undergoing mental trauma," he said.

He requested Modi to instruct the External Affairs Ministry to take speedy action on this matter.