Chennai: Madras high court has ordered notice to the Union and Tamil Nadu governments on a petition, which sought a direction to authorities to produce the body of a fisherman belonging to Pamban in Ramanathapuram district, who died in an accident involving a ship carrying oil while fishing in the Arabian sea in Saudi Arabia on November 30, 2017.
A division bench comprising Justices Rajiv Shakdher and N. Sathish Kumar posted to December 22, further hearing of the habeas corpus petition filed by A. Justin, father of the deceased Brain Ignatius.
According to petitioner, his son J. Brain Ignatius, aged 24, was employed as a contract fishing labourer in a private company in Saudi Arabia.
He and his family members were solely dependent on his son’s income for their livelihood.
While so, on November 30 when his son and certain other co-workers from their village ventured into fishing in Arabian sea from Jubail, a coastal area in Saudi Arabia, they were hit by an oil vessel and in the said mishap, four fishermen were rescued except his son. He made a representation to the authorities on December 1 to take steps to rescue fishermen.
However, his son’s body was found on December 4.
Since, there was no progress on his representation, he made another on December 16. Since there was no response till date, he has filed the present petition, he added.
