Deceased Kumari fisherman’s family seeks relief

Sources said that on October 13, six fishermen, including Anthony, the victim, had gone into the sea from Beypore coast in Kerala. An unidentified ship had hit the boat and it was reduced to smithereens. 

While three of the six-member group went missing, Anthony, a resident of Chinnathura near Thoothoor in Kanniyakumari district, was killed. Two others were rescued. 

Speaking to DTNEXT, Justin Antony, founder president, International Fishermen Development Trust (INFIDET), said that the ship which had rammed the boat was yet to be identified. So, only after the Kerala government identifies the ship that passed near Beypore at that time, they would be able to get Rs 1 crore as compensation for the family of  Anthony. 

The shipping company should first be identified and an amount of Rs 50 lakh should be obtained for the damage to the boat. The fishermen organisations said that as Anthony was the sole breadwinner of his family, Kerala government should provide adequate compensation to his family from the Chief Minister’s relief fund. 

The Kerala government should initiate measures to track all the ships passing through the coast of Kerala and to prevent recurrence of such ‘hit and run’ cases in future, demanded the organisations.