Kolkata: Three fishermen from Namkhana in Bengal's South 24 Parganas district have been languishing in a Pakistani jail for the past two years after their fishing boat allegedly strayed into the neighbouring nation's maritime waters off the Gujarat coast, their families said. The matter came to light after the family reported the episode to Mathurapur MP Bapi Haldar.
Haldar visited the families on Wednesday along with Kakdwip MLA Manturam Pakhira and assured help. "We have informed MP Abhishek Banerjee. He has already taken up the matter with the Gujarat fisheries minister," Haldar said.
According to the families, three fishermen — Kashinath Mondal, Tapan Mahapatra and Dilip Bag — left Bengal first for Kerala, and then moved to Gujarat in late 2023 to work in trawlers. In early 2024, their trawler allegedly crossed India's maritime boundary and entered Pakistani waters. The trio was detained by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and taken into custody.
For months, the families had no idea of their whereabouts. In Jan 2025, Mahapatra's wife Mamata Mahapatra received a message on WhatsApp from an unknown number, purportedly sent by her husband, where he stated that the three were lodged in a Pakistani jail.
"My husband wrote that he and the others are imprisoned in Pakistan and told us to inform the (panchayat) pradhan and MLAs," Mamata said. Kashinath Mondal's wife Parbati said: "It has been years without any concrete intervention. If there was intervention earlier, the situation may have been different."
The families said all they want is for the Centre and the state govt to expedite efforts to secure the fishermen's release. Satinath Patro, secretary of a fishermen's organisation, said the body would stand by the affected families and extend financial assistance.