Deoria, June 18 -- Family members of deceased Indian seafarer Shivanand Chaurasia have demanded martyr status for him, and proper compensation for his immediate family, staging a sit-in protest in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district as his mortal remains were brought to his native village.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday night, the deceased seafarer's brother said the family would not allow the ambulance carrying the mortal remains to proceed until their demand was addressed.

"Our only demand is that our brother be given martyr status, and until that happens, we will sit there and not allow the ambulance to pass," he said.

Deoria District Magistrate Madhusudan Hulgi met the family members and said the administration and the state government s...