Urging state and central governments to take immediate action to bring back the body of a fisherman from Thoothoor, who died in hospital while incarcerated in an Indonesian jail, villagers have been in dharna since Friday night.

When a mechanized boat carrying eight fishermen from Kerala and Kanniyakumari district was on the high seas off Kerala, they were arrested along with their vessel by the Indonesian Navy on February 17 for allegedly entering the country’s territorial waters. ‘South East Asia. While four of them were released, J. Maria Jecin Das, 33, from Thoothoor and three others were jailed.

Maria Jecin Das developed health problems and he was admitted to hospital on May 11 and died there on Friday evening.

Demanding that the State and the Center take immediate action to bring his body back to Thoothoor and compensate the family of the deceased fisherman, the villagers have been organizing dharna in their hamlet since Friday evening.

Protesters said they approached the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Indonesia asking for help in bringing an ill Maria Jecin Das back to her homeland for medical treatment, but to no avail.

Seeking ₹50 lakh as compensation and a government job for a family member of Maria Jecin Das, her father Jenova submitted a petition to the collector’s office on Saturday. He also requested registration of the case with the International Court of Justice.