Stalin urges Centre to trace fisherman missing in Oman

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin requests Union Minister Jaishankar to locate missing fisherman Pethalis in Oman. Pethalis was detained after disputes between him and the boat owner over unpaid salary. Stalin urges Indian diplomatic mission in Oman to repatriate Pethalis to India.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday wrote to Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar, requesting him to take steps to locate a fisherman from Kanniyakumari district who has been reported missing in Oman.

In his letter to the Union Minister, Mr. Stalin flagged the “detention” of a fisherman from Tamil Nadu in Oman and the concerns raised by his family about his safety and well-being as he had been taken to an “undisclosed location by unidentified persons”.

The fisherman, S. Pethalis, is among the 18 from Tamil Nadu working on boats at Duqm harbour in Oman. There was an allegation that the owner did not pay the fishermen their salary, and there were some disputes between the owner and the fishermen, led by Mr. Pethalis.

“Subsequently, some unidentified persons took Mr. Pethalis to an unknown location,” Mr. Stalin said, referring to a plea by the missing fisheman’s wife, Shoba Rani, to the Chief Minister, seeking her husband’s release.

Mr. Stalin requested the Union Minister to direct the Indian diplomatic mission in Oman to initiate steps through appropriate diplomatic channels to repatriate Mr. Pethalis to India.